Summer Interludes
by Ciardha
Summary: Outlaw Queen. Hood Mills Family. This is part of my Hood Mills Family fanfic series. Each chapter is a moment in time, taking place during summer. The earlier chapters will be in summers between the three main stories. The final three chapters are sequels to "Resolution".
1. Chapter 1

**Summer Interludes**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Late August, 4 months before Grace is born**

The Storybrooke Harvest Fair was a modest thing compared to the Maine State Fair, but Regina thought, she guaranteed this town's was better run. Regina and Robin were walking to the show pavilion with their kids. There was a dog show Roland and Henry liked to see every year. She felt a bit self-conscious now that her "baby bump" was so visible. Maternity clothes were a necessity now, not even her pajamas fit anymore. She felt unattractive, but apparently Robin didn't think so. He took pictures of her almost every day or got Henry to. Their excuse was they were figuring out all the 'neat things" the camera could do that Henry got on his fourteenth birthday. Regina was worried that Roland would be envious of yet another new family member on the way. No signs of it yet though. Beyond Roland's curiosity about Regina's pregnancy, he was more excited to be starting first grade soon- getting to be at school "all day" like Henry and his cousin Matthew. Hope had apparently decided this week she hated the stroller. She would throw a tantrum if she was put in it, so Robin was carrying her in a baby carrier on his back. Hope was now fast asleep, with a hand clutching Robin's shirt. Even with the noise of the fair hadn't woken her.

"Regina! Going to the dog show?" Snow joined them. David was close behind, pushing Neal's stroller.

"Yes."

Snow smiled "This will be Neal's first time seeing it. He loves dogs. We're keeping the apartment to be close to work; but we've saved enough money up to buy a house. I think we'll get Neal a dog once we've moved in. It's not as big as your house, but it has three bedrooms."

"Are you thinking of having another child?"

"No, Neal's enough. The third bedroom is just going to be a guest room."

"Or maybe a home office? I have one, you know. It does have its uses."

Snow nodded thoughtfully. I could do lesson plans in there when Neal gets older."

"It gets pretty noisy once they start running around."

"And you'll be adding to that soon." Snow chuckled.

"And I have no illusions about girls being any quieter than boys. I certainly wasn't when I was small."

"Nor was I, as you well remember."

"You were a noisy and nosey brat." Regina smirked. If she only thought about her annoyance with Snow as a child those memories weren't as awful as the other things and what came after she'd had the mental break…

"I truly was." Snow smiled, looking straight into Regina's eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit strange, seeing most people smiling at me, and quite a few actually coming up and asking about the baby."

"Hope no one is just coming up and putting their hands on your 'baby bump'."

"They still seem to have enough fear not to do that. Only small children do, and I don't mind that."

"Good. I think it was people doing that to me, when I was pregnant with Neal that made me see some sense in making people a bit afraid of you." Snow laughed.

"So that far back? I only noticed it after our misadventure with Isaac's book."

"You've forgotten the first time I was temporary mayor."

"Oh yes." Regina laughed, "I heard about how you told Granny and Leroy to 'get a flashlight' during the power outage."

"Not my finest hour." Snow said ruefully.

"But they knew you were no pushover anymore after that, so…" Regina smirked.

"There is that." Snow smiled.

Regina rested her hand on her baby bump, and leaned against Robin's shoulder after they sat down to watch the dog show. She was enjoying the pregnancy now. The wonder of feeling the baby moving inside her womb, feeling so blessed that this little miracle happened. It may be just this one time, but everyone seemed to share in the joy about the baby coming. No, she wouldn't throw any kind of showy party when the baby was born. Just a welcome to the family celebration at home. No princess naming party for her, same as Hope. Although Hope's party was a bit delayed…

Robin grinned watching Roland and his niece and nephew in the first row along with Henry and his girlfriend Violet. The older two were trying to act like they were grown up, too old to "act like kids" but the longer the show went on, the more the teenagers forgot to act "grown up". Roland, Matthew and Roberta were cheering and clapping excitedly at each trick the dogs performed uninhibited.

Robin glanced at his sister Rowena, sitting directly behind the children with her reunited first love, Wilfred. It had been a bit more than a month since the long lost couple was reunited; but Rowena was already holding hands and laying her head against Wilfred's shoulder. Robin suspected a wedding wouldn't be far off. Matthew and Roberta had adjusted fairly well to Wilfred; he genuinely cared for them and showed it, like Robin had with Henry. Wilfred asked how to let Rowena's children know he was there for them, however they felt comfortable seeing him. Robin told him to say he wasn't there to replace their father, and they could ask him any questions. It also helped, in some ways, that Wilfred and Stan had been friends back in the Enchanted Forest.

Robin still dreaded driving that great behemoth Regina called a SUV. He'd driven them to the fairgrounds with near white knuckles. The further along her pregnancy went the more awkward driving was getting. The Mercedes had a better layout for her driving comfort. So they'd kept it after all for her drives to and from work, but when the family went anywhere the SUV was better. Soon it'd be a necessity, with two infants and their car seats. Regina had first taught him to drive with the Mercedes, and that was difficult enough to master. Henry called the vehicles the tank and the minitank. During the time he was learning to drive, Emma had once showed him how to drive her "bug". The small car had been far easier to manage. He'd seen other smaller cars including at the Park Ranger's station where he was considering applying for work.

Regina had been the one to suggest it when he'd spoken about working somewhere in Storybrooke. He'd be in the forest he still loved several days a week. He'd toured the station and walked the trails and could feel a sense of rightness. The fact the rangers rode horses on the job also leant to its appeal. He was strongly considering applying there soon. The small cars that were used in small areas were called Jeeps. He'd looked one over and it looked far more manageable than either of the family cars. Perhaps if he got the job he could drive it to and from work like David sometimes did the sheriff's police car.

Regina assured him he'd eventually get used to driving the SUV. But Robin knew it'd be some time yet.

"Just think, Regina, the next time you run for re-election both the babies will be toddlers. That will be so adorable in the campaign brochures. Maybe you should do a TV ad." Snow enthused.

Regina grimaced. She hated campaign ads. She'd never done one on purpose. Brochures were enough. Albert had done a god awful TV ad last election, probably another reason she'd so soundly defeated him, beside the fact very few people in Storybrooke could stand the man. No, she'd do no TV ads. But Snow did have a point about the picture…Regina made a mental note to remember to do a family picture for the brochure.

She'd only started doing brochures for the last campaign, two years ago. She'd defiantly used a picture of Henry and her; despite the fact the Charmings were then rarely allowing her to see her son. Things had gotten much better since then. Now no one argued that she was Henry's primary parent. Henry had made that plain to Emma and his grandparents once the second curse broke. It had caused Henry to have some resentment toward Emma for a while. He and Emma repaired the rift since, but Henry still preferred staying with his primary family.

That had only strengthened once Roland and Robin were back. Henry genuinely liked Robin and had just recently told Robin outright he was a father figure to him. Henry also loved being Roland's big brother and Roland absolutely adored Henry. Henry even liked Hope, though she could be a very fussy baby at times, and Henry was a teenager now. Henry had complained about baby Neal's loud crying when he came back home. She'd worried he'd be equally annoyed by Hope, because babies cry a lot. Probably helped that Hope's bedroom was on the opposite side of the hall from Henry's room. He could close his door and Regina made sure she closed Hope's bedroom door when she went in there, so did Robin. Roland was the one who occasionally complained about Hope crying too much, but as Hope had started sleeping a more regular schedule her brother's annoyance had lessened.

Rowena cuddled in a bit closer to Wilfred. The children were fascinated by the dog show, so she didn't feel so self-conscious about being affectionate in public. Wilfred couldn't be much more different than Stan if he'd tried. She'd stopped believing in true love for all but a lucky few when her marriage had turned into a disappointment after Roberta was born. Finally she'd had enough of Stan being this drunk and miserable lump beside her and asked for a divorce. Stan hadn't protested; he'd agreed to the divorce and moved out. She knew he was even worse with his drinking now. It made her sad and angry. But since Wilfred had come into her life and she'd been reunited with her older brother Robin, some joy had come back into her life.

Her sister-in-law Regina had also been a pleasant surprise. Like everyone else she knew Regina had been the Evil Queen. She'd watched the unexpected romance between her older brother and the Queen from afar. She'd recognized her much older brother almost immediate. She'd almost approached him several times, but her wariness about the Queen, despite the obvious change for the better in her, had made her hold off. Then suddenly Robin apparently was killed by Hades and she thought her chance was gone for good. She'd seen Regina's grieving devastation, despite the woman's attempt to hold it in. She'd nearly approached, but the presence of the woman people had found out was Regina's older half-sister, the Wicked Witch Zelena, made Rowena stay back again. But when Regina returned with Robin and his son Roland, Rowena felt a push to reveal who she was. The perfect chance finally occurred. The Charmings held a wedding reception for Robin and Regina. She hesitantly approached Robin… The reunion had been very joyful. Matthew and Roberta had almost immediately bonded with Robin's son Roland, who was right between her two children in age. Regina and her son Henry had warmly welcomed them into their extended family.

Then not that long after Regina's son announced he had discovered where the long lost Wilfred had ended up and they immediately mounted a rescue. And now Rowena thought she might just be in love with Wilfred. It felt like love. Wilfred could even extend sympathy toward Stan. They had been friends all those years ago in the Enchanted Forest, before Wilfred had disappeared. Even Cedric's favoring of his wards Stan and herself, hadn't lessened the bonds of friendship. Wilfred hadn't had to live with Stan's descent into drunkenness like she had. Stan had worn out all her sympathy. A part of her still worried about him, but he refused to help himself, so her sympathy was gone. She hoped he'd someday do something to pull himself together before he killed himself from the alcohol. She was also angry at the poor role model Stan was presenting both her children, but especially Matthew. Rowena was angry at Stan as well for completely ignoring Roberta; as if he was ashamed he had a daughter!

In contrast, Wilfred would sit and listen to both Matthew and Roberta, and showed them skills he'd learned in his wandering years. She'd teasingly told him not to teach them to steal and he'd laughed and said she'd more likely have to worry about that from her brother, not him. Wilfred still struggled with some things about this world but he was adjusting well. Perhaps… things would work out right for them. Rowena smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summer Interludes**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Henry and Violet's wedding, 1 year after "Love and Mischief"**

"Isn't Cedric absolutely adorable?" Snow enthused.

Regina smiled and nodded. In this case, she'd give Snow that, Robin's youngest nephew was adorable in his tiny Enchanted Forest noble outfit. Cedric was nearly two and a half, and surprisingly articulate for a child so young. Very good at repeating whatever he heard in an understandable form. This had already led to a few amusing moments. Because he understood directions quite well too, he was Henry and Violet's junior ring boy. Snow and David's son Neal was senior ring boy. Cedric would hold the pillow with the rings for the walk down the aisle then five and half year old Neal would hold it until Henry and Violet placed the rings on each other's fingers.

"Your son looks like he doesn't mind the 'strange clothes' now."

"Thank goodness. The dress rehearsal helped. When he saw everyone else was dressed that way he stopped complaining. Not a peep this morning."

Hope, Grace and Bae were the flower girls. Henry, showing signs of parental wisdom already, decided it would be best if both sisters were flower girls. They wanted to include Belle's daughter Bae as well. As she was the same age as Grace, Henry and Violet decided they'd have three flower girls.

Roberta, Robin's niece, was the junior bridesmaid. Roland and his cousin Matthew were the Junior Groomsman.

While the boy's and men's clothes were fairly faithful replicas of Enchanted Forest Nobleman outfits; the girls and women's, other than Violet's, were simplified and used this world's formal textiles.

Violet was wearing the dress Regina had worn on the fateful day she'd first seen Robin. Regina had been bemused at the youth of Storybrooke so enthusiastically embracing her and Robin's love story; it had been such a painful path… Violet was no exception, although she was a bit more pragmatic. Violet assured Regina she didn't find the suffering part particularly romantic, just that they'd finally won out. Violet begged Regina to be allowed to wear that dress for her wedding to Henry. Regina conceded to the young woman's earnest pleadings; she'd come to like her fairly levelheaded, but spirited soon to be daughter-in-law. It did feel like she was gaining a daughter, not losing a son.

It was at that point that Snow had gotten involved in the wedding planning. She enthused on how romantic it would be for the young girls of the wedding party to wear dresses in a similar style. As usual, Snow was quite persuasive and the dresses were commissioned. Regina decided she might as well get a dress in that style as well. The sleeveless full length over dresses were in charmeuse, while the bishop sleeved knee length under dresses were batiste. Hope's dress was a peridot tint while Grace's was amethyst. Roberta's dress was citron colored while Bae's was daffodil. Regina chose to have hers made in carnelian red. Snow had chosen a different dress style, and of course her dress was white, but an eggshell shade rather than pure white in deference to this land's wedding traditions. Emma had opted for a striking tuxedo style outfit that complimented Killian's. Belle had chosen a simplified version of her Enchanted Forest golden gown. Rowena wore a cream colored dress in this world's formal style. Most of the adults her age or older preferred this world's clothes. They were more comfortable. Plus too many bad memories associated with life in the Enchanted Forest, for most adults.

Henry had so many family members, and people he considered family members they took up the first two rows. It was almost time for him to wait at the front of the room for Violet to walk down the aisle. Her dad, Hank Morgan, would walk her down the aisle in the tradition of this world. It was already a tradition that existed when Violet's father had left Connecticut for the Enchanted Forest's Camelot in the 1880's. Hank Morgan was a gruff, and for the modern world, a conservative man. Although he said he was quite progressive for his time, when he'd left. He'd seen the results of the Civil War as a boy, and firmly believed slavery was an evil that should have never existed in this country. Last year, shortly after the announcement of their engagement, Henry and Violet had taken Hank for a trip back to the town he'd grown up in, Bridgeport. Because it had been well over a hundred years since he left his Connecticut hometown, he had held off going for years, dreading that he'd find nothing of the town he remembered, and all relations long since gone. The trip had given a bit of an emotional bond to Henry and his soon to be father-in-law.

"It's bittersweet seeing my hometown again. I see pieces of the place I remember, scattered here and there" Hank Morgan had said, walking with them along the riverfront. They had toured several of the historic buildings that remained, like the Barnum Museum- the famous circus owner had been mayor of Bridgeport during the time Hank Morgan lived there.

Prior to going Henry and Violet had used online genealogy and phone number websites to see if any descendants of Hank Morgan's relatives still lived there. They found one family descended from one of his sisters and contacted them. Hank was eager to meet them, but was sad he had to lie and say he was descended from himself. In researching his family, they discovered a story about Hank Morgan disappearing. There was some speculation he had gone west on the spur of the moment and the family had simply lost contact. Hank decided they'd use that as their story. They'd say he'd researched his genealogy some years back when his work brought him to Maine. As his wife Sandy had passed away, he had decided to move to Maine permanently with his young daughter Violet. From that point they could tell the story pretty much how it happened- absent any references to magic and fairy tales, of course.

The meeting with Hank Morgan's several times great grand nieces and nephews had gone well. When they got back home, Henry showed Hank how he could use social media websites to keep in contact with his relatives, even in Storybrooke. Hank had to make up a plausible excuse for how it would be impossible to find Storybrooke, but he promised to come back to Bridgeport again sometime.

"Young Henry, here drove us. Town's not on the map and the road in and out is terrible, even residents miss the turn for the town lots of times, and there's nothing else around for twenty or so miles. But we'll come up this way again sometime to see all of you."

Bridgeport was close enough to Maine that his tale was entirely plausible to his relatives. They were quite happy to hear back from Hank on social media. Violet showed her father how to upload pictures and he'd already shared some with their Bridgeport relatives. He'd already taken several pictures of Violet in her wedding dress that he'd upload after the wedding.

"Okay dad, I think twenty pictures are enough, you want to save some memory space for the rest of the wedding, don't you?" Violet gently teased her father.

Hank faintly smiled. "Just want to be sure the perfect picture of my beautiful daughter on her wedding day is there."

"Oh daddy." Violet hugged her father.

Over the high-waisted dresses of the girls and women of the wedding party was a gauze sash that tied in a bow in the back. There was also a matching full length gauze shawl for the reception party. The flower girls also had a matching gauze hair bow. Grace's was amethyst and Hope's was peridot to match their over dresses.

"Oh they look just like little princesses!" Snow leaned forward and excitedly whispered to Regina. Snow and David were seated in the second row directly behind Regina and Robin.

"For now. I have a change of clothes ready for the reception. Hope and Grace are too young to tolerate fancy dress for hours."

"We should have done that for Neal." Snow turned to David. "Could you run back and get him a change of clothes after we get to the reception?"

"Sure, but we better be quiet now. Violet and father are getting ready to walk down the aisle."

"Oh!" Snow blushed with embarrassment as everyone stood up for the bride's walk down the aisle.

The wedding went off without a hitch, except for Cedric's amusing repeating of "I do." That caused a flutter of laughter throughout the room. Seeing he'd entertained everyone, he said it several more times with more volume. A laughing Matthew picked up his little brother and brought him over to their mother. Rowena took her youngest child onto her lap and the ceremony concluded.

As everyone made their way to the reception David quipped "Well, I hope Abba's song 'I Do, I Do, I Do' isn't on the playlist or Cedric will be singing it!"

When it indeed proved to be on the playlist, laughter erupted on the dance floor. Even Violet's father couldn't hold back a chuckle.

The wedding reception lasted until late Saturday night. Robin pulled out the air mattress they'd stuck in the back of the SUV and gradually all the younger children of the wedding party were curled up asleep on it in the corner of the reception room. Even Roland and his cousins were beginning to yawn as they played another round of a computer game on their phones.

Earlier in the evening the cousins had snuck out with the group that was 'decorating' Henry and Violet's car in the style of this world's weddings. Robin and Regina had taken a look a short time ago.

"Well, if anyone is asleep along the way to their house, they won't be when that racket goes past." Regina laughed. Several strings of aluminum cans were tied to the back of the car; someone had even tied a pair of tennis shoes in that mess.

"Just married!" Was scrawled all over the car, in various materials, not just in the rear window.

"And everyone in Storybrooke will know they just got married whatever direction they are coming from." Robin chuckled.

"I'm glad our reception was much lower key, despite the fact Snow organized it." Regina shook her head with a smile.

An hour later the reception finally ended. Much laughter followed the wedding couple to their car.

"Oh god, what a mess you guys!" Henry exclaimed when he saw the car.

Violet just giggled though, she'd peeked out at the antics earlier and already seen the mess.

Henry sighed, then laughed. He and Violet then hugged all the guests gathered outside goodbye. After one last kiss for the wedding photographers, they got into the car; and with an incredible clatter, drove away.

"They did that to the carriages, back when I was a boy, when someone got married. " Hank Morgan chuckled, "Although not to quite that excess. It's going to take them forever to get all that off."

"Hope they can get it cleaned off before they leave for their honeymoon. Kind of embarrassing to drive down to New York City with some of that still on their car." Emma mused. "Maybe we should go over tomorrow and help them clean it off." She looked at her husband "Especially you, Killian. You were out here with the kids." Emma laughed.

"Aye, I'll go help them out. Give me a chance to tease them about the wedding night, after all." Killian grinned.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Just don't get too raunchy. Henry is my son."

"And mine." Regina looked mildly annoyed at Killian.

"To spare myself the wrath of both of Henry's moms- I promise I won't embarrass them too much. "

"Perhaps I will go over as well, to make sure nothing too ungentlemanly is said in front of my daughter." Hank Morgan said with a touch of irritation.

Killian sighed. "I promise I will keep the teasing to Henry alone, nothing when your daughter is there."

"I'll accept that. " Hank said, nodding.

Robin and Regina exchanged a look. Robin thought, probably be best if they came over as well, bring the kids too. That would keep the teasing tamer and the kids would enjoy helping clean off the mess from their brother's car. A chance for the kids to get messy with their mom's permission.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summer Interludes**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Grace's first day of school- early September**

"Bye Mommy,Daddy!" Grace waved as she excitedly got on the school bus right behind her sister Hope.

Robin and Regina had stayed home slightly later than usual so they could both watch their youngest child go off to her first day of first grade. Grace had been so excited to get her own Storybrooke Elementary uniform just like her siblings.

"Last one in school now." Robin said softly.

"Robin, I'm almost crying already…"

He hugged her close "Go ahead, its okay. About there too."

Regina chuckled softly. "Remember when it was Roland that was so excited?"

"Uh huh. Thought he'd wear that uniform out before he even stepped inside the school." Robin smiled nostalgically.

"Now it's an effort to get him out of bed on a school day."

"He's a teenager. I recall Henry being the same way, well until he and Violet started dating. Then he barely stayed long enough to eat breakfast with us." Robin laughed.

"Oh yes. He was so sweet on his first day though. Afraid I'd be lonely without him around."

"Were you?"

"I was! It was so hard to let him go, even for a few hours, the first few weeks."

"And you were still under the curse then, so Henry was the only person that you knew of that was conscious of the passage of time."

"Gold was too, but I didn't know it until after the curse broke. Sidney sort of was, but he wasn't exactly the sanest person to talk to, even under the curse."

"Now, I'm going to stop the course of this conversation, no dwelling on the dark past. That's over and gone. In large part, thanks to you, we have a wonderful life here, all of us."

"Thank you, Robin. You played a big role in what we have too."

Grace looked around the classroom. She didn't know any of her classmates. She missed her sister Hope. Hope had their sort of cousin Neal in her class. Grace bit her lip with nervousness. She hoped there wasn't anybody who 's parents hated her mommy. Hope had that nasty Phillip Jr in her class. He was a bully.

"Grace!"

"Bae!" Grace almost cried with relief, their other sort of cousin, Bae Gold was in her class!

"I'm so glad we're in the same class. I don't know anyone else."

"Me either. Wonder whose class our other friends are in?" Grace and Bae had been in the same kindergarten class last year, the class was smaller and they were only there half a school day.

"Did your mom and dad bring you to meet our teacher? Mom was going to take me, but she was sick that day."

"Yeah, she seemed nice."

"I hope so. I heard some of the teachers are mean." Bae said worriedly.

"My mommy said most of those are gone. My brother Roland had a mean one once, but mommy talked to him and he quit at the end of that school year. "

Hope pretended she wasn't worried about her little sister, but she was. What if Grace had a bully in her class like Phillip Jr?

"Hey, look Hope, our classroom has an aquarium in it!" Neal pulled her by the hand over to it.

"Wow! Look how big that fish is! It's pretty too." The large fish was bright and colorful.

"Yeah it's big. Wonder if we have any fish like that in the pond?"

"Not like that." Their teacher said, walking up behind them. "That's a tropical fish. This is a salt water aquarium."

"Oh." Hope and Neal chorused.

"We'll be learning about the ecosystem this year. Did you know what that is?"

"Something about the earth, right?" Hope asked. "Daddy's told me about how plants, animals and we are all connected."

"Exactly." Their teacher smiled at Hope.

Hope decided right then she was going to like this school year.

Roland was worried about his baby sister too. She was so excited about starting school. He hoped there weren't any jerks in her class. He had a few in his, but luckily almost everyone else seemed to like him. He had lots of friends, and not just in his class. If anyone bulled Grace he'd make sure they didn't after he found out.

He worried about his cousin Roberta too. Unlike Matthew and him she was kind of an introvert. The snobby kids who had parents that had been royalty or dukes and stuff were jerks to the kids that weren't. Even lower nobles like Roberta and Matthew's parents weren't good enough for them. Plus their dad was a known town drunk.

Matthew just mocked that clique but Roberta was more sensitive. He and Matthew had talked about what they could do to stop the mean girls taunting Roberta. The only thing that seemed to work a bit was inviting her to sit with them at lunch. Matthew was kind of good at some sports so he had some popular kids in his friends. Roland knew he was one of the popular kids in his class, so sitting with him at lunch, when they had the same lunch, made the snobby girls leave her alone. Roberta was a year younger than him and two years younger than her brother, so most of the school day they were separated. He worried about what would happen when Roberta was in Middle School without either of them for a year.

Roland rolled his eyes when his core teacher walked into the room this morning. He wasn't mean, but he was so boring. Even the nerdy kids complained. The guy spoke in a mumbling monotone and would ramble off onto boring stuff all the time. Probably needs to retire. He looked old. This year was going to suck.

Henry sat down at his computer to connect to his class. Violet's online class had started a half hour earlier, he didn't bother her, it looked like they were doing a quiz. Ugh. Second week of classes and she already was having a test. His English lit class was just starting the discussion of the first book they had to read- Charlotte Bronte's Villette. It was kind of interesting, even if the characters weren't that likable.

Henry let his thoughts drift to his younger siblings. He smiled thinking about his baby sister Grace. First day of first grade… she was so excited. When he and Violet had come over last weekend Grace had raced upstairs then came down in her school uniform. Mom and Robin had grinned at her antics. Hope had asked about how it was like to take classes over a computer. Violet pulled out her laptop and showed Hope an archive of one of her classes from the day before. Roland groaned about having to get up way to early again and didn't seem too thrilled about his classes this year. Henry remembered when he felt that way about school. He chuckled inwardly that he would most likely become a teacher now. But he loved literature, so maybe teaching high school English wouldn't be too bad…

Regina and Robin took off work early and waited for Roland, Hope and Grace at Granny's. Roland's school let out an hour earlier than Hope and Grace's. Like last year, he could do his homework while he waited for Hope to get out of school. Then they could ride the school bus together.

Robin smiled at David, waiting for his wife and son at Grannys as well. Belle walked in and laughed when she saw them waiting for their kids too.

Belle and David sat down opposite Regina and Robin at their booth.

"I hope school wasn't too scary for Bae. I drove her to school. I could hardly stand to watch her walk away from me alone into the school."

"Sounds very familiar. " Regina smiled at Belle. "I felt the same way about Henry his first day of first grade."

"I was a bit jealous that Snow could look in on Neal his first day, last year. I got used to it though. Now I'm the cool parent. Neal complains about Snow's making sure she has the same lunch time as he does." David laughed.

"When Roland started school Regina had to assure me he'd be okay."

"I was used to it by then with Henry. We dropped them both off at school, an hour early for Roland, so Henry could walk with him to his classroom before he went to his."

"Now it's Grace's turn. How was it last year when Grace was in kindergarten and Hope was in first grade?" Belle asked.

"Not too bad. Hope walked Grace to the kindergarten class. Besides your daughter, several of Grace's other friends from preschool were there. She spent lunch with Robin or me, then we dropped her off to daycare until Roland and Hope got out of school."

"Ugh I got old man Brown for Core this year." Roland complained as soon as he walked in the door of Granny's.

"Is he mean?" Regina asked, concerned.

"Nah, just puts everyone to sleep. He's so boring, mom. He's so old, he needs to retire."

Regina and Robin sighed. Robin felt a bit sorry for Roland's teacher already.

"Mama, Daddy! My class has an aquarium in it!" Hope ran up to her parents excitedly.

"She got Ms. Clark. She's big on the environment. At least she's not boring like my teacher." Roland explained.

"Sounds like you'll learn a lot this year." Robin said to his older daughter.

"My teacher had us show her how good we could write our letters. We read a story but it was like a baby book." Grace said.

Bae nodded. "It wasn't good like the stories in the library, mommy." She said looking at Belle.

"Maybe we should both talk to the principal and see about getting Grace and Bae in the advanced class?" Regina said to Belle.

"Could you mommy? I don't know anyone else in the class. Bae and I had lunch by ourselves." Grace looked sad.

"So your other friends are in one of the other classes?" Robin asked gently.

Both girls nodded.

"It couldn't hurt to ask, and clearly both our girls are too advanced for the class they were put in."

"The principal should still be there." Regina looked at her watch and got up.

"Could you get me out of old man Brown's class too?" Roland said with irritation.

"I'll see what I can do." Regina said neutrally. She doubted Roland would be any happier in the other classes though.

As Regina walked into the school she stopped by Rowena's classroom. Robin's sister was cleaning up her art classroom while Roberta and Matthew did their homework at one of the tables.

"Oh, hi Regina. Did Grace forget something on her first day?" Rowena asked.

"No, need to talk to the principal. I think they placed Grace in too easy a class. She and Bae both said the book they read was too easy."

"They put them in the basic track?"

"I think so."

"Someone messed up. Those girls are way too bright for the basic track. I'll go with you to talk to him."

"Thanks." Regina smiled at her sister-in-law.

"We'll be fine mom." Matthew looked up from the science textbook he was reading.

"Yeah" Roberta glanced up from her math homework.

"Okay, I'll close the door while I'm gone. If you get out your phones don't play loud games, okay?"

"Yes mom." They chorused and laughed.

As they walked toward the principal's office Regina said "They don't seem to be in a near constant state of annoyance like Roland, or Henry at his age."

"Oh they whine, trust me. They both just had a good first day. Something I'm relieved for Roberta. I think she's made a new friend, and Roland made sure she had lunch with his friends and him today. Roland really looks after Roberta, even more than Matthew. He's a good boy. Don't mind the whining about school. He cares about people; that's as important as anything he'll learn here."

"He does. He has since he was a little boy. I hope he always does."

"I think he will. He has that good leader in him, like my brother."

"I think so too." Then she looked concerned. "You won't be late picking up Cedric from daycare doing this, will you?"

Rowena glanced up at the wall clock they were passing, "No, it's fine; they won't expect me for another hour."

"Good. It'll be a bit easier next year; he'll be in kindergarten here part of the day."

"There's some talk of making kindergarten a full school day next year, so that will make it even more convenient."

"It would."

"I think we can get Grace and Bae switched to the advanced track pretty easily. I'm sure someone in the office just messed up."

Regina sighed. "Roland also wants a switch."

"Roberta and Matthew told me. Poor Jacob, he means well, but teenagers intimidate him."

"Why doesn't he see if he can be transferred to a different grade?"

"I don't know. But he's just a couple of years from retirement, so we try to be kind to him. Matthew says he's a good teacher despite being kind of boring. Kids do learn in his class even if he's not terribly charismatic." Rowena smiled faintly.

"Sounds like maybe Roland should stay in his class after all. Roland will complain now, but he'll still learn."

"I think so. Plus kids do need to learn to tolerate people that aren't exciting, but are well meaning."

Regina nodded. "Sometimes those people know a lot more than other people think."

The discussion with the principal went well. A quick check of the records proved there was a mistake in the track placement for both Grace and Bae. Luckily, the advanced track still had some open spots. Grace and Bae were put in the same class and would report there tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Summer Interludes

Chapter 4

Birth of Dillon and Zita- Mid June

Robin lightly clasped Regina's hand as she nervously tapped her foot. Even without an impending attack from some villain, waiting for your first grandchildren to be born was nerve wracking. Robin glanced around the waiting room. Almost everyone was family. Regina, himself and the other kids, Violet's father, the Charmings, Emma and Killan, Belle and Bae, even his sister and her family. Then there were some of Henry and Violet's former classmates, and friends like Tinkerbelle and Maleficent.

Henry, of course was in the delivery room with Violet. As Regina had done with Grace, Violet was giving birth in Rebecka's clinic. Violet had worked as a medical assistant in Rebecka's clinic from high school until she was hired by Storybrooke's main pharmacy. Violet had been a pharmacist for almost a year now. Henry had just completed his first year as a high school English teacher.

Hank Morgan was pacing the waiting room. Every so often he'd go up to Nova at the receptionists' desk and ask her to peek in and see how things were going. Earlier he'd spoken to Regina.

"I know Rebecka is far more skilled than the healer in Camelot, but this is my only child. Violet's mother had a difficult time giving birth. We had no more children after her."

"Rebecka was able to get Grace and me both through her birth safely. I had a bad miscarriage back in the Enchanted Forest, in the early years of my first marriage. I had no other pregnancies until Grace. "

"Perhaps it was a blessing." Hank Morgan said hesitantly.

"Because of the broken mad woman I became."

"Yes, that, but I was thinking about your first marriage. I know you don't speak of the man, but even I have heard that your first husband was monstrous to you. Better there was no child. I'll say no more."

"Thank you." Regina felt oddly touched by Hank Morgan's words. Not something she would have expected from the gruff man. Perhaps that explained his ability to be civil and even occasionally friendly to her, despite the stories he had to have heard about her. He merely tolerated Emma and never spoke in a friendly fashion to her. She knew he still judged her by her behavior in Camelot, not overtly anymore, but it was still there.

* * *

Roberta was posting short videos on her phone and occasionally getting her cousins Roland and brother Matthew to participate.

"Look, you're a puppy Roland. " Roberta giggled.

Roland stuck out his tongue so that a giant puppy tongue would appear on the screen.

"Do the smushed faces next." Matthew grinned.

The teens would occasionally draw in some of the adults to join in with the silliness to pass the time. Hope, Grace, Neal, Bae and Cedric also had done a few, but they were more interested in the animated movie playing on Robin's tablet. Robin had bought a tablet after using one at work. He brought it along for times like this when the girls might have to wait hours for something with their parents.

Snow had brought along Neal's old favorite board game- "Chutes and Ladders". She was currently sitting on the floor playing it with Rowena's son Cedric. The movie wasn't holding his interest as much as the other children's. Cedric though was just six, where Grace and Bae were eight and Hope and Neal were nine. Neal had recently lost interest in the game, declaring it "was for babies". Cedric seemed to be quite taken with the game. Rowena sat down next to her youngest.

"Can I play?"

"Uh huh." Cedric smiled at his mother.

"Maybe we should get this game, so you can play it at home?"

"Yeah!"

Snow said softly, "Neal's lost interest in it. Just take it home with you. Better someone is playing it than it gathering dust in our closet."

"Are you sure Neal won't miss it? Maybe he's just not in the mood for it right now."

"No, he's wanting to play games on my or David's phones. Board games bore him now."

* * *

Emma flipped through another celebrity magazine. She refused to look at the baby magazines in the waiting room. Killian looked at the pages over her shoulder and made mocking comments about the celebrities on the page.

"Looks like he got that shirt from Regina's sister's closet."

"It's a nuclear green. Probably see it from space." Emma laughed. "His hair too…"

Regina wandered over and looked at the picture, "If that's the latest fashion for men, I'm glad I'm here. That hair looks like a clown wig and so does his outfit."

Robin smirked. Curious, he had to take a glance as well. "Oh, but my love, with that you wouldn't need a flashlight in the dark."

"Are you proposing this for the Rangers' outfits?" Regina teased back.

* * *

Maleficent read the next entry in the book. She and Regina were slowly going through her old spellbook collection along with Tinkerbelle and Rebecka. They were deciding what spells could be taught to Regina's magic class. Rebecka had added her small book collection of healing magic as well. Now that the classes had been established for several years, and she had assistant teachers, Regina decided it should have a more set curriculum. Thus their project, creating a curriculum.

"Maybe we could even make textbooks!" Tinkerbelle enthused.

"Perhaps." Maleficent smiled. She found Tinkerbelle's honest enthusiasm charming. That had been the initial attraction, that and her nonjudgmental attitude. Tinkerbelle had spent her own time in darkness and despair. It had been Regina that had helped Tinkerbelle regain confidence and faith in herself.

Tinkerbelle had blamed Regina for her fall but after a confrontation the two women had taken parallel paths back to the light. A few years later they learned both their falls had been engineered by the Blue Fairy. That woman had done so much damage and for such a petty reason… But justice had been done at last; the Blue Fairy would never have that kind of power again.

Henry and Violet had come over to Regina's and Robin's house the week before and found the four women sitting at the dining room table with piles of books around them. Robin was outside with Roland, Hope, Grace, and their cousins Matthew, Roberta and Cedric. Robin was giving the kids an archery lesson.

"Mom, aren't those your spellbooks from the vault?" Henry asked.

"Some of mine too." Rebecka stated.

"Yeah I recognize that one", Violet pointed to a slim purple volume. "That's the herbal you had me study."

"Yes. It's clearly written and brief, without being too short."

"So you think we could just use that one as is?"

"Use? "

"For my magic classes. I have so many students now, as you know. Needed my three assistant teachers, plus occasional guest teachers." Regina pointed to the other three women seated around the table. "I suggested the class might become a regular elective for middle school and high school."

"And?"

Regina smiled. "If I can pull together examples of proposed lesson plans and a curriculum, they'll likely green light it within the next few years."

"Operation Hogwarts" Henry grinned.

"Remember when Blue accused Regina of trying to turn 'her school' into Hogworts?" Tinkerbelle laughed.

Maleficent smirked "Wouldn't she just hate this. Perhaps we should send a message to Avalon to let them know and pass it along to that woman."

* * *

Nova opened the door "Both babies are here!" She exclaimed happily. Then she looked over at Hank Morgan. "Violet is fine. Tired and sleepy, but everything's fine."

"Thank goodness, can I see her? And my grandchildren too?"

"Sure. Rebecka says not too many at once at first. Emma, Killian, Mister Morgan, Robin and Regina first, she said."

The five made their way to the room. Henry greeted them at the doorway, holding one of the twins. "Rebecka's finishing up helping Violet get settled. This is Dillon." He looked at Regina. "You want to hold him, mom?"

"Of course." Regina smiled and let Henry transfer the newborn into her arms. She and Robin were completely captivated by the baby.

Hank smiled and stroked a finger across Dillon's cheek, and then he looked at Henry with his normal stern expression. "My daughter okay?"

"Yeah, and both your grandkids." Henry glanced back into the room.

"Dad you can come in now. I'm settled in and so's Zita, your granddaughter."

A faint flicker of relief showed on Hank's face as he stepped into the room. Hearing his daughter's voice sounding perfectly normal eased his worries.

"So kid, you're officially a dad now." Emma said with a quirk of a smile.

"Yep! " He glanced over at Robin and Regina "Operation Duo" was a success." Henry smirked.

"Still doing that?" Emma sighed.

"Absolutely." Henry "I'll teach my kids too."

Emma shook her head.

"So, Moms, Robin, ready to meet your other grandkid?" Henry led them into the room.

Violet held a sleeping Zita in her arms.

Regina looked at her granddaughter with a worried expression. "She looks a lot smaller than Dillon."

"She is" Rebecka said "but everything checks out okay with both of them. Usually one twin is noticeably lighter and smaller than the other, it's rarely a health issue though. Especially when they are full term. They came just one week earlier than their due date."

"What are their heights and weights?" Emma asked.

"Zita is eighteen inches even, and five pounds ten ounces. Dillon is twenty and a half inches, six pounds twelve ounces."

"You were nineteen inches and six pounds three ounces. " Regina smiled at Henry.

"Don't know what your exact height and weight were, but I think you were as tiny as my granddaughter." Hank said softly to Violet. "I was terrified the first time I held you, you were so small."

* * *

When Snow and David came into the room, Snow was over the moon about her first great grandbabies.

"Ooh look at how big Dillon is, David! I think he takes after you." Snow now held Dillon, while Regina held Zita.

"Zita is tiny, like her mother. Alisande, Violet's mother was a tiny woman as well. Hank Morgan replied.

Snow turned to Henry "Will you be having a naming ceremony for them? I could arrange it." Snow said hopefully.

"Sorry grandma. I think we'll just have a party at home, like mom did for Hope and Grace."

Snow looked disappointed but then smiled, "I can help you plan the party."

Regina and Robin looked at each other amused. Snow would find a way to plan any party for any family member.

* * *

Regina had briefly taken out Dillon then Zita so the children could see them. Regina didn't think the younger ones would be able to keep their voices soft for more than a few minutes. While Roland and Matthew would be curious to see what they looked like, then want to go back to playing the games on their phones. Roberta was a bit more interested and tended to be quiet when she wasn't around her older brother or cousin. She'd come back to the room with her parents to visit with Henry and Violet. Henry and Violet's friends had stopped in for a short time but most had left now, except for Sabine and Jacinda.

Both Sabine and Jacinda had come over with the second curse, but Henry hadn't met them until he and Violet had been married and were taking college courses. Violet had met Sabine in high school; they'd been in the same geometry class but they had just been acquaintances. Jacinda was two years younger so they'd never had any classes together.

Violet decided to take a culinary arts class on a lark, in her last year, as an elective. Sabine and Jacinda were taking the same course. Early on the three women discovered they all lived in Storybrooke. Violet struggled a bit with the class, but Sabine, who was top of the class, started helping her out. Jacinda wasn't quite as skilled as Sabine, but she was still in the top 10 of the class.

Jacinda and Sabine had been meeting up at Granny's. They had persuaded Granny to let them try out their creations on customers that were up to the challenge. Granny was happy because it drew in more customers. Violet started coming in hoping to get better from watching Sabine and Jacinda at work. Henry became curious after Violet told him about her friends.

During the course of the class, Sabine and Jacinda fell for each other, then moved into an apartment together. Both Sabine and Jacinda were children of widowed parents, when they came over with the second curse. Sabine's father, Lord Jacque Toutant, had died in battle when she was eight. She and her mother, Lady Eudora Toutant, had been at sea between the Enchanted Forest and Arrendale when the first curse struck. Eudora was trying to make a trade deal between the lands. The negotiations had fallen through though, and they were on their way back. Jacinda's mother, Lady Nicola Lince Barba, had died of an illness when Jacinda was five years old. Her father, Lord Agosto Barba, had been busy trying to hold their kingdom from their more powerful neighbors. He had taught Jacinda how to fight with any weapon she might have at hand. They had been together with their counselors, discussing strategy, when the first curse struck. Their kingdom was outside of the direct effect of the curse, but like everywhere else, was struck by the secondary effect.

For those left behind outside of the curse in the Enchanted Forest they, unknowingly, were literally magically asleep for the twenty-eight years; time itself was frozen. When they awoke, at first only those with magic realized twenty-eight years had gone by and the entire population of several kingdoms were missing. The castles and buildings stood empty. Gradually the news filtered to all corners of the Enchanted Forest. People reconstructed their lives. But a bit over a year later the Wicked Witch invaded and chaos reigned in the Enchanted Forest. Then rumors spread that a strong resistant movement was gathering, centered at the Evil Queen's old castle. Sabine and her mother, and Jacinda and her father had made their way there, only to be caught up in the second curse.

The new residents adjusted to their new lives in Storybrooke. Eudora opened a fine fabric store and Agosto opened a small retail store. Sabine and Jacinda enrolled in school. Agosto died when Jacinda was almost eighteen. He'd been driving home from closing the store during a terrible nor'easter. He was found dead the next morning. His van had been blown off the road in the high winds and crashed into a ravine. The sale of the store and house had allowed Jacinda to move into an apartment, and enroll in an online college, without having to get a job. After she had fallen in love with Sabine, the two of them moved out of the smaller apartments they'd each lived in, into a larger two bedroom apartment together.

Jacinda was still finishing up her degree. Sabine's mother Eudora helped Sabine make the down payment on a bakery. Granny grumbled about having completion. Sabine though just laughed and said it wasn't really competition. Granny had a diner, she had a bakery. The bakery was already very popular though. Jacinda was pregnant and due in a few months. Henry had been the sperm donor. The four friends had discussed the situation about six months ago.

"We're thinking about driving down to Boston and see if we can do it through a sperm bank."

"But that's so impersonal." Violet said with a shudder of distaste.

"Yeah, that's what bothers us too." Sabine said. "But neither one of us really want to do it the traditional way."

"And even if we did, what if the guy turned around and was a jerk; trying to control Sabine and my lives through the baby?"

Henry gave Violet a significant look, then whispered in her ear "What if I was their donor? Would that be okay with you? We could do it through IVF."

Violet looked thoughtful, then nodded.

Henry then asked Sabine and Jacinda. "I could be your donor. We could do it through IVF so no sex is involved."

"Are you sure? Both of you?" Jacinda asked Violet.

"Absolutely. You're our friends. "Violet said firmly.

Jacinda decided she wanted to be the one to have the baby. Because it was her decision, she had been firm that she would pay for the majority of the medical costs. In Storybrooke that was far less expensive than outside, even in the hospital. But it was even cheaper at Rebecka's clinic. Rebecka charged on a sliding scale based on her patient's incomes. That and Rebecka's excellent reputation made her the obvious choice. Rebecka had done the IVF procedure the next month and it was successful. Henry and Violet had treated Sabine, Jacinda and Eudora to a celebration dinner at Granny's when it was confirmed Jacinda was pregnant. Jacinda was now five months pregnant. They'd recently found out the baby was a girl and had already decided her name would be Lucy.

* * *

Zita woke up and began to fuss. Regina gave her back to Henry. "Time to be a dad." She smiled.

"So that's how it's going to be. While she's sleeping you get to hold her; but if she starts fussing, then it's my turn." Henry grinned.

"Of course. I'm just the grandmother now." Regina smirked.

"Uh huh, yeah just the grandma…" Henry teased. "So that's going to be your excuse."

"Teasing aside, Henry, if you need my or Robin's help with the twins, we're just a phone call away."

"Thanks mom." Henry had gently rocked Zita back to sleep. "Maybe it was just the noise, woke her up. She's asleep again now."

"Maybe she's a light sleeper like you were. Took me a while to figure that out. Least little noise would wake you up."

"You were pretty frazzled early on. I was always crying, you said."

"I thought I was incompetent as a mother. I didn't realize part of it was just your nature for a while."

"Plus you were alone. Thank you again mom, for making that choice to raise me."

"I adored you from the first moment I saw you. I wanted to do everything right. Not like my mother. You had my heart from the first second."

Henry leaned over and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Love you mom."

Regina looked up at her oldest child, so much taller than her now. "Love you too."


	5. Chapter 5

Summer Interludes Chapter 5

Two years after the conclusion of "Resolution"

Snow was disappointed that Roland, Eimi and Douglas' wedding was going to be so low key. It was being held at one of the larger campsites in the woods. It wasn't a legal wedding in the United States; because it was between three people. But in the Enchanted Forest such a wedding was as legal and binding as one between two people. It was rare occurrence, but there was a ceremony.

"In this case our old home was more enlightened than this world" Robin said to his son and soon to be spouses. "I'm sure Regina will figure out some way to work around the law. And even if she can't, as far as we're concerned you'll be just as married as Henry and Violet are."

"Thanks Dad."

Robin grinned. "Regina will be glad you're marrying. She'll probably hope that means you'll be moving into a house."

Roland laughed. "Other than being close enough she comes over at least once a week to make sure we have a decent meal, she hates us living in an apartment."

"Granny is almost as bad, but in her case, she just wants us to live at her place. She's always telling me that her place is better than here, plus I'll be right there and won't have to walk in bad weather." Eimi responded.

"She's getting older, even most of those with magic don't live forever. She probably wants you close. You are her foster daughter." Robin said gently.

"I know." Eimi said softly. "She's kind of hinted at that too. I think she wants to mostly retire."

"And pass the diner onto you. Her daughter Ruby won't ever be coming back from the Enchanted Forest. Mulan told me years ago that Ruby had found true love with a woman named Dorothy and they live in a castle."

"Granny told me that too. It happened a long time before I came here and Ruby's never been back. Granny said she would leave everything to me. I don't want to think about her being gone though. Not for a long time."

"I think Granny will be around for quite a few more years yet." Robin said soothingly.

Eimi glanced over at Douglas. His elderly foster parents had recently passed away and his biological parents had been causing him problems lately. They still didn't like his relationship with Eimi and Roland. They were harassing him to break up with Eimi and Roland and marry someone they thought worthy of their name. Never mind they'd thrown him out at fifteen.

Douglas had tried to tell them to go away but it hadn't happened yet. He hoped once he was married to Roland and Eimi his parents would get out of his life for good. They were probably the worst of the Enchanted Forest former royalty, other than Albert. Compared to his parents Phillip and Aurora were positively enlightened. Their son Phillip Jr was turning into a delinquent with a giant ego and they kept making excuses for him. Their daughter Bryony, one of the magic baby boom kids, was the polar opposite. Plus she had budding mid-level healers magic. They allowed Bryony to take the magic classes, but made it obvious they were afraid of magic, even healer's light magic. Roland's mom, Regina, complained about their attitude to Douglas, a few days ago.

* * *

Douglas was working a shift at Rebecka's clinic because she needed another trained healer for the day. Rebecka was busy with helping an older mother give birth to her third child and needed to be there through the labor. Regina was there because Grace was starting her training in healing magic by observing Rebecka for a few hours every month. Regina had dropped Grace off. On the drive into Rebecka's clinic, Regina had seen Phillip Junior physically bullying Bryony while their parents stood by doing nothing.

"It makes Bryony feel unloved, ashamed. It makes her emotionally vulnerable. Someone could manipulate her down a dark path. Makes me wish they'd let someone like Rebecka and Mulan foster her like how kids were in the Enchanted Forest. "Regina said "Rebecka and Mulan would be ideal. Phillip and Aurora are still friends with Mulan, so they'd trust her. Rebecka is a skilled healer who would be a wonderful foster mother. And she'd get to be an older sister to Rebecka and Mulan's daughter, Xian. She wouldn't be so overshadowed by her brother, who bullies her. I encourage her in the classes but that's all I can do." Regina said with frustration.

"Yeah it's a bad situation, kind of like mine."

Regina looked guilty. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I hated when Snow would bring up my abusive childhood and her father's abuse of me. Hated being reminded of that pain."

"No, it's okay. I'm just frustrated with my parents right now. It was already on my mind. They threw me out at fifteen and now they want me back? But only to marry someone they approve of?"

"Don't you let them bully you." They gave up any right to tell you anything when they threw you out. I know you're grieving for your foster parents too. As far as I'm concerned, you are my family as much as Roland is. You need a mom there for you, I'm right here."

Douglas hugged his soon to be mother-in-law. "Thanks, I needed to hear that right now."

"I meant every word."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for being so welcoming to Eimi and I. I know it's kind of different even for Storybrooke."

"I don't care if it's not typical. I care that it's positive for all three of you. Now, when are the three of you moving into a house?" Regina teased.

Douglas chuckled. "I wouldn't mind a house, its Eimi and Roland that like the apartment."

* * *

Grace was midway through her thirteenth year and curious about pregnancy and babies. Regina and Rebecka decided observing and aiding, if necessary, during prenatal checkups and childbirths would be good. It would give her a realistic picture of pregnancy and childbirth, and see if her focus would be on ob/gyn when she went to college in a few years.

Hope had healing magic too, but she was interested in veterinary medicine. She had been doing similar observations for the past few months at the animal clinic. After she turned fifteen in March she'd start volunteering at the clinic. She would volunteer once a week for two hours during the school year, two days a week for four hours during the summer. If she was still interested at sixteen she could work the same hours, but as a paid employee.

Hope and Grace both had healing magic at high levels but Hope's was earth where Grace's was water. They both also had a second element but Hope's second element was only a low level air magic, it mostly seemed to help her focus in science. She not only liked healing animals but she could rattle off their complete classification, what their natural habitats and what diseases they were most vulnerable to.

Grace, on the other hand, had a second element of fire as high as her water element. The fire element drove her to want to make sure anyone that needed Rebecka's help got the best care possible and a passionate curiosity about human reproduction.

Right now the girls weren't thinking of their futures in medicine, but of missing extended family members. Family members they'd probably never see again.

"I wish Grandma Belle hadn't found that prophesy." Grace skipped her pebble on the lake and got annoyed when it just bounced twice before it went under. Hope's last one had been five times, she was winning.

Hope shrugged. "Mom and Dad are the only people I know who avoid prophecies, especially about us kids. Dad says prophecies are part self-fulfillment. If you avoid them, then you don't have that weighing on you- like the savior stuff."

Grace nodded, but then frowned. "Mom said she thinks Grandma Belle followed it because she still feels a connection to Mr. Gold."

Hope shuddered. "I never liked him, he was scary."

"Me either. Bae was scared of him too. But now she says the prophecy is that she's a type of guardian that will end the power of the Dark One's dagger. She had to go and learn how to do that, free her dad so he can finally die and no one else will be doomed to be a Dark One. "

"I hate that prophecy. It said Belle and Bae had to both go and we'll never see them again."

"It's like evil babysitting for the rest of your life. It will be for Grandma Belle."

"Yeah. But Grandma Belle said it would save all the realms from Mr. Gold doing even worse than he did two years ago. She said it was the right thing to do, for the good of the universe."

"I hate that prophecy."

"Yeah."

* * *

The book with the prophecy was among those she'd brought back to Storybrooke two years ago. Emma and Henry helped her bring things back after Rumple was exiled to the Dark Fairy's realm.

"It's better they're all back here. Some of this stuff would have power even out there, some of the spells in these books too. A lot of it is dark magic. It's safer here." Belle said as they moved the last load back into the seldom opened pawn shop.

Over the next two years she and Regina went through the objects and the books. With the books they decided which ones would need to be secured with magic in the pawn shop, which one were okay for supervised use-stored at Regina's vault, and which ones could go in the restricted section of the library. That involved carefully reading by both Belle and Regina. They were finishing the project, on the last two books, at the kitchen table at Belle's home.

Belle gasped.

"What?"

"This, here. Regina, read this. I want to make sure I'm reading it correctly." She handed Regina the book from her side of the table.

Regina read the words then looked at Belle solemnly. "Are you going to follow this?"

"Have to. We can save everyone, even Rumple, doing this."

"Bae's only thirteen. You'd be taking her away from her friends, most of her family."

"I know. I'll ask her. She's old enough to be given a say in this. We'll leave when she's ready to." Belle responded.

"Her magic is getting stronger. We thought she'd be mid-level but it looks like she's going to be high level now."

"That happens in Air elements sometimes. Fire elements are often are slow reaching their potential and healers both earth and water can be slow. Air elements sometimes have two stages of development; the second stage doesn't show up until they are active magic users on their first level."

"Uh huh. If you do plan on leaving soon, Bae should get some more intensive mentoring from Maleficent and Tinkerbelle." Regina didn't like that Belle and Bae would be leaving and putting themselves in Rumple's power. It wasn't anything she'd wish on anyone. She hoped, for their sakes it would work out.

After Belle spoke with her daughter, they decided to leave sometime in the summer. It let Bae finish the school year. Let the extended family have some time to prepare for them leaving.

* * *

It was now two weeks since they'd left. Their departure had cast a slight melancholy edge to things for the extended family, especially for Grace. Not only was Bae "sort of a cousin" but they had been born just two weeks apart.

"It's not fair" Grace moodily tossed a pebble that plopped into the water that didn't skip at all.

"It's not. Life sucks sometimes." Hope replied.

"Bae and I were best friends ever since I can remember."

"Yeah I liked her a lot too."

"At least you still have your best friend Susie though. Bae was my best friend." Grace bit her lip hard; she wasn't going to cry like a little kid.

"You can hang out with us; I know Susie would be cool with that."

"Thanks. It won't be the same though."

"No it won't. But it's not the same with Susie and I as it was before. We're best friends but…"

"She's not as close since you told her about liking her, like you'd want to date her."

"Yeah, she'll probably be more comfortable if you start hanging out with us. You like boys."

Grace blushed. "How'd you know I liked a boy?"

"I'm your sister. We're less than a year apart. Of course I noticed."

"Don't tell mom and dad!"

"I won't but I bet mom's noticed, even if dad hasn't."

"Mom hasn't said anything."

"She won't until you bring him home the first time. Remember how mom was with Eimi and Douglas when they came home with Roland the first time?"

"Dad too."

"Uh huh. It's why I haven't brought anyone home yet. It's easier to hide my girlfriends from mom and dad since Roland graduated." Hope smirked.

"I won't tell."

"Know you won't. I won't about your liking Laurent either."

Grace blushed. "I like him, but I'm not sure if it's that kind of thing. We've been friends since he first visited Storybrooke with his mom."

Laurent was the younger brother of Lita, who married to Davu two years ago. A year later Florence decided to move to Storybrooke with her son. It was only about seventy miles from their Penobscot lands. Florence said she felt drawn to the town, beyond her daughter living here. Something inside told her to live here too. She always listened to that kind of feeling. Laurent had been in a couple of classes with Grace this past school year, and they had the same lunch. They also both were on the track team.

"Looks like it to me."

"You think so?"

"Uh huh. He looks at you like Henry looks at Violet."

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Hope laughed. "It happens that way sometimes."

"Has it for you?"

"Nah. Well, Susie didn't notice, but I know I was. That was one sided, though." Hope shrugged.

"Yeah."

"But you've seen how Neal looks at Roberta haven't you?"

Grace giggled. "His big old cow eyes. Think everyone knows about it. Even Roberta."

"Kind of, but I don't think she gets how much of a thing he has for her."

Grace's expression turned solemn. "I might not have noticed how Laurent looks at me, but I have noticed some of the kids looking at you like they're scared."

Hope rolled her eyes. "Phillip Jr. He mutters 'evil witch' whenever he passes me in the hall."

"Not just him, the snob group and their followers too."

"I don't care what they think." Hope smirked.

"I don't either; they just sneer at Roberta and me. Say Roberta isn't noble enough to be part of their group, make rude comments to me about dad being a thief - call him the 'robber baron' and about mom's great grandpa being a drunken miller."

"Who'd want to belong with that lot?"

"I don't but I don't like what they're saying to Roberta and me, and how they look at you now; just because your hair's getting some red in it." Grace pointed to Hope's now strawberry blonde hair.

Hope shrugged. "They're idiots. And how the hell did they find out about our great grandpa? That was a way long time ago. Bet they all have peasants somewhere in their backgrounds too. Our grandma was a queen in her own right, just like mom. Plus they act all self-righteous, but their families were slaughtering innocent civilians, and invading other countries all the time. None of their parents have clean hands. "

Grace nodded. "I'm glad they failed trying to trash our mom in the school. No one else cares that mom was the 'evil queen' anymore. Everyone sees how fiercely protective mom's been of the town, especially the kids. They know mom's story, how she was broken by others overs to exploit her for their wishes. How Grandma Snow's dad abused her in every way for all the years of that marriage. How Mr. Gold manipulated her into that psychotic break just so he could see his son again without paying a price. How great grandma mentally and physically abused mom as a kid, then killed Daniel right in front of her."

Hope and Grace now knew the details about their mother's past. Knowing that had made the two now teenage girls fiercely protective of her. Robin had told them about his past as well. They were old enough to understand now and both Robin and Regina thought it was better that they did know.

* * *

Hope had somewhat reconciled with her birth mother Zelena. Mom had told her about Zelena saving her life in, and wanting Hope to know she was loved by her birth mother as well. So the next time mom had gone to Zelena's grave Hope had gone with her.

Zelena's ghost had appeared almost immediately. It was more than a ghost, actually, while only there a limited amount of time she was as solid as Regina and Hope. Zelena reached out and touched Hope's wild blonde curls "I wonder where those curls come from? Maybe my biological father's side? He told my mother his name was Jonathon." She sneered "Wonder if that was as much a lie as his claiming he was a prince. Hopefully mother sent him to pits of hell when she saw him in the Underworld."

"Would you if you saw him?" Hope asked sympathetically.

Zelena looked surprised at the question. "I don't know. Hadn't thought about it. Hadn't bothered to look."

Regina grinned. "You know you should find him. You rule the underworld. Scare him just a bit so he tells you the truth."

"Sis, thought you were all sweetness and light nowadays." Zelena smirked.

"Me?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "The former Evil Queen, all sweetness and light?"

Hope covered her mouth to hold back her giggles. Mom had, through a lot of work, come to appreciate some remnants of her dark self. She'd discovered how to use that drive constructively. She could even take the scars from the years of distrust she'd endured after she committed to the redemption path; like this, with humor.

"Humph." Zelena looked at her sister skeptically. "You're about as evil as Snow White, sis."

Both Hope and Regina laughed till they were breathless, looked at each other and laughed again.

"What? It wasn't that funny." Zelena looked at them perplexed.

"Oh, but it is…" Regina caught her breath. "Let's just say evil can come in unexpected packages, from unexpected directions…"

"Snow White?" Zelena looked dubious.

"Oh, but you didn't encounter her under Isaac's spell, did you?"

"No."

"Let's just say Snow has a dark side that could easily rival mine. " Regina smirked. But a part of her still had a shiver of fear about a dark, insane Snow. Had it been real, she would have been a far worse Evil Queen than Regina.

"And how she won't stop talking about something if she wants you to do it. She can wear anyone down. That's some kind of evil" Hope grinned.

Zelena rolled her eyes. "I don't pay any attention to her. I only watch my daughter. I want to make sure no one treats her like I was."

"Then you know we all have made sure no one does."

Zelena smirked, "Including Robin's boy. I saw that and I thought it was perfectly wicked how he got revenge on that boy for harassing my daughter."

Regina sighed but said nothing. Hope faintly chuckled but looked uncomfortable. It was time to end this visit before it turned darker.

* * *

Regina saw how well Hope handled the visit with her birth mother and told her it was okay if she ever wanted to speak to Zelena alone. In the past two years Hope had done that on occasion but would end it when Zelena would start making comments about being wicked. Hope doubted her birth mother would ever learn how uncomfortable those comments made her feel.

"She'll never change any more than she wants to, and when it comes to my sister, don't expect much." Regina told Hope.

Hope nodded.

"But," Regina sighed, "I'll admit she surprised me on one point, as dysfunctional as she is, she did end up caring about you as much as she was capable of caring for anyone. That's why I said you could speak to her alone, anytime you wanted. That it was a private matter between you and her. It's a big burden and I know you worry it hurts your father."

"Yeah."

"It's difficult for him, but he understands."

"You talked to dad about it?" Hope looked upset. She'd rather her father be blissfully ignorant of that.

"Uh huh. I told him how well you handled the situation when it got uncomfortable and that made him feel better about it. He's okay with you talking with her, glad to have been told, but he has no interest in what she says to you. "

"Dad still hates her, doesn't he?"

"Yes, and I don't blame him. But that has absolutely no bearing on how we feel about you. We both love you with every breath in our bodies. You are our child, just the same as Henry, Roland or Grace. Who birthed you doesn't mean the least thing to us. We cherished our little peanut even before you were born." Regina pulled her older daughter into a hug.

"Thanks mom. Guess I'll always have that nickname, huh?"

"Uh huh, just like Henry is my 'little prince', Roland is my 'little knight' and 'littlest merry man' to your father, and Grace is our 'little firefly'."

"None of us are little anymore though."

Regina sighed sadly, "As well we know. Even our baby girls are almost grown. We can't keep you safe all the time anymore."

"Ah mom. You've got Henry's twins now to be mama bear to now."

"Somewhat, but I have to let Henry and Violet come first protecting them from danger."

Hope chuckled, "Dad says the same thing. Maybe you and dad could foster parent after Grace and I move out."

Regina shrugged, "Maybe, or maybe we'll have enough grandchildren to keep us busy." She grinned.

Hope rolled her eyes, "Mom." She sighed, vaguely exasperated. "You're not going to become one of those moms asking when the grandchildren are coming after we're grown, are you?"

"No. I'm not greedy. I already have Dylan and Zita. Doubtless, in a few years Roland, Eimi and Douglas will have children too. I'm in no rush for you girls to grow up, much less have children of your own."

"Good. I know I want to finish college and be a veterinarian before I even think about kids."

"That's what I want for all of you. I know Eimi and Roland don't want to go to college, and I'm a bit disappointed, there are good drama schools that Robin and I would be happy to pay for them to go to, even if it meant them having to go to college outside of Storybrooke."

"Mom, you'd be worried all the time if they did. I know how you feel about the world outside of here."

Regina looked at her daughter with a faint smile. "Now I know you're almost grown up. You want to take care of me as much as I want to take care of you. I remember when Henry started doing that. Back then, I didn't know why, but it made me happy. It still does, but I know why now."

"Because we love you, mom."

"Love you too."


	6. Chapter 6

Summer Interludes

Chapter 6

7 years later- Mid August.

Robin called it "the summer of weddings". They were now celebrating wedding number four in the family. First had been the wedding between his niece Roberta Kingsfort and Neal Nolan in mid-June. Neal and Roberta didn't even try to restrain his mother. The wedding was a near recreation of an Enchanted Forest royal wedding, scaled down to fit Snow and David's back yard. Robin thought back on how Roberta and Neal's mentor friendship had grown into a romance…

Roberta had confessed to Robin, when she was 22, that she was starting to feel something for Neal.

"Uncle Robin, I thought Neal just had one of those adolescent crushes on me. But now, I know it's not just a crush, and I'm starting to have feelings for him. But he's still a kid."

Roberta had just completed her Forestry degree and had just been hired as a full time employee. They were getting ready to go home from their shift at the station. Although she'd become much closer to her father in recent years she still tended to go to her uncle for answers to difficult questions. This was one.

Robin looked thoughtful. "It is difficult right now, because in this realm you are considered a young adult, while he's still a teenager. In the Enchanted Forest you wouldn't have had that problem, as long as the families were friendly. The families would negotiate and you two would likely become betrothed, since you both come from nobility."

Roberta snorted, "Some don't consider barons nobility."

"Ah yes, as they've been dubbed 'the snob group'."

"You heard about them?"

"Of course, we adults do hear about things. None of that matters here though."

"But there are other issues in this world."

"Yes. And you should listen to your discomfort. If Neal truly has feelings for you, he will listen to what you say and wait until you don't feel uncomfortable about the age difference."

Neal and Roberta did talk about it. Neal was so overjoyed, at first, that Roberta admitted having feelings for him that he readily agreed to waiting to date until he was 18. Although he didn't let it show to Roberta, he did get a bit frustrated at times. Roberta was still somewhat hesitant even after Neal turned 18 because of the age difference but more attracted than she'd been two years ago. Neal spoke to his father in frustration.

"She even says she loves me, dad, what can I do to convince her age difference isn't important anymore?"

"Show her you are a man now, charm her, listen to what she says, surprise her with things you know she likes-"

"I already do the last two dad, what do you mean by charm her?"

"Are you flirting with her?"

Neal blushed with embarrassment, "I've tried, but she just laughs and changes the subject."

"Ah. I think I see the problem. Try casually taking your shirt off after you get to her apartment. Make some excuse that's obviously false and grin at her. Then continue to flirt with her."

"You think that will work?"

"Works with you mother." David shrugged and grinned.

Neal rolled his eyes.

The next time he went on a date with Roberta he called his parents with a rushed message that he wouldn't be home tonight. Neal told them he was spending the night at Roberta's apartment. Snow and David opened the bottle of champagne they'd been saving for this moment.

After that, things progressed rapidly in Neal and Roberta's relationship. Within a month he was spending more nights at Roberta's apartment than at home. Within a year he'd moved in with her. And now three years later, they had married. Roberta had been working as a Ranger at the station for a few years now; but Neal was only three quarters of the way through his degree in accounting. He was working as a bookkeeper in Storybrooke's school office. Snow and David had no idea where his fascination with numbers and budgets had come from. Snow was a teacher and both his father and sister were in law enforcement. No one else in the family was an accountant.

Robin told them, "Roland's an actor; a career that isn't anything connected to Regina's, mine or even Marion's interests. Children follow their own paths."

"It's just so…different from what we expected."

Robin shrugged "Roland being an actor took a while for Regina and I to understand. But it's what he loves to do. While Roberta likes working with nature, like her favorite uncle" Robin grinned. "She does a lot of work at the station- looking at the data, and working out focus plans. She and Neal have a kind of similar way of looking at things."

"So did she influence him?"

Robin shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But I remember, even when he was in early elementary school, Hope talking about Neal being the one who always answered the math questions first."

Snow nodded. "Yes, he understood simple math before he even started kindergarten… So maybe Neal was attracted to Roberta, even before she started mentoring him, because they thought alike."

"They're both air element magic users. Regina says air types tend to be attracted to theoretical science and mathematics. Certainly it's true for Neal and Roberta."

Snow looked solemn. "You know Bae was an air element too I think. I wonder how she ended up using it? I wonder how she and Belle are doing." She looked sad. "It still feels like something is missing from here without them. Just this note in the background. Your youngest, Grace, was very close to Bae. It must still be painful for her."

"Yes. She has other friends, and of course now her fiancé, Laurent. But she still talks about missing her best friend fairly often."

"Bae and Belle will be missed by all of us at Neal and Roberta's wedding."

Robin was one of the few male relatives on her side, outside of her immediate family, which Roberta wanted in the wedding party. She asked her Uncle Robin be Neal's Best Man. So that Robin wouldn't feel awkward being so much older than the other groomsmen, Neal asked his sister be Roberta's Matron of Honor. Regina was in the wedding party too, being Neal's step-grandmother.

Wilfred thought to stop a potentially awkward situation from happening of father versus stepfather; he told Roberta she should walk down the aisle on Stan's arm, not his.

"Roberta, I know you've become close to your father in recent years. It would make him so happy if you choose him to walk you down the aisle. I care for you as my daughter too, but it would mean the entire world to him." Her stepfather understood his stepdaughter, and understood his friend Stan as well.

"Thank you!" Roberta looked relieved, she couldn't decide who to ask, afraid she'd hurt the feelings of whoever she didn't choose. "But what about mom? It might be awkward for her."

"Rowena and I already talked about it. She's fine with it. Things are a lot better between Stan and her than they were when you were younger. "

"Yeah but the whole wedding thing. I worried it might remind her of when my dad was an alcoholic and she was miserable being married to him."

"No. We've all already talked about it together. We knew you'd be worried and wanted to make sure everything was okay before the wedding."

"I kind of wish both you and my dad could walk me down the aisle."

"Well, if you want that, maybe we can do that. Who says it has to be conventional?

For the wedding Roberta wore a three tiered wedding dress with a cathedral length veil and detachable lace dress train. Neal wore a Regency revival style tailcoat. They deliberately avoided having a themed style wedding, deciding it had become too overdone. The men and boys of the wedding party wore modern tuxedos- in the tradition of formal weddings of this land.

The one concession to Enchanted Forest style dress was with Henry's daughter Zita. Zita was the flower girl and Dylan was the ring boy. The twins were now eleven. Zita still liked playing dress up, much to her great grandmother Snow's delight. Zita's dress had a polonaise skirt that resembled a style of Enchanted Forest court dress, but with a simple sleeveless bodice with a satin cummerbund style sash at the waist.

The bridesmaids and matron of honor's dresses were all full length, made from a satin underdress and a chiffon overdress. The dresses skirts were all gathered in a soft A-line in a periwinkle shade. The bodices were periwinkle as well, but in different styles, depending on what style they liked.

The fad of dressing in Enchanted Forest style clothing for weddings had faded. It had reached its peak around the time Henry and Violet had married, but was already starting to fade when Roland and his partners did their handfasting. The three of them had chosen to wear Avalon style robes for it. Roland had fond memories of seeing Robin and Regina's wedding there and got his partners interesting in dressing that way. The candlelit ceremony next to Henry and Violet's house had felt nearly as magical, if on a smaller scale. Roland, Eimi and Douglass seemed to be quite happy. But to Regina's disappointment, the trio were still living in their old apartment.

Next this summer had been the double wedding of Hope and Yara, and her sister Grace to Laurent. That had been in early July in the backyard of the two couples' new duplex home.

That duplex had been quite a find. Hope and Grace were determined to live right next to each other. It was looking like they might have to settle for two apartments close to each other. But then a duplex home had gone on the market. The four toured the home, along with Regina and himself. The realtor seemed almost beside herself with excitement at the thought of selling a home to the mayor's daughters. Hope and Grace seemed equally overjoyed at getting this house, where they would be literally right next door to each other. Their soon to be spouses were calmer but were happy that a perfect solution had appeared right when they needed it.

For their weddings Hope, Yara and Grace all wore full length sundresses with flower blossom circlets matching the pastel shades of their dresses. Laurent had worn Penobscot festival clothing. Robin chuckled, recalling the conversation he'd overheard about Laurent's choice of clothing at the wedding.

"Grandma Snow is so disappointed that the four of us were able to put our feet down and say we'd plan our own weddings." Hope grinned.

Grace giggled and replied after she whispered in Laurent's ear and he whispered back in hers. "We love her, but sometimes she's a pest. We have an idea that might shock her a bit."

"What?" Hope asked.

"I could wear my festival clothing for the wedding." Laurent smirked.

"What's that look like?" Yara chimed in.

Laurent pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of himself. Other than a long, open, fringed vest his chest was bare. At the bottom he was wearing a long breechclout with fringe matching the vest, and traditional leggings. His hair was longer and was loose except for two small braided and beaded strands with round metal disks on the ties. Grace now wore one of those metal disks as pendant and Laurent wore the other the same way. "This was at the summer festival, in my family's lands, when I was 16. I was really happy your mom let you come to it with mom and me."

"My first trip out of Storybrooke without mom or dad."

Hope laughed. "Dad was pacing the floor waiting for you to get back home. Mom pretended to be doing paperwork."

"And they were so nonchalant when I walked in." Grace's mouth quirked into a smile. "Dad acted like he'd just come out of the kitchen; mom just glanced up from the sofa, and said 'Did you have fun?' You were awake waiting for me too, though." Grace smirked.

"Busted." Hope grinned. "My baby sister, of course I'm going to worry."

What was amusing was that the plan to shock Snow failed spectacularly. The children were too young to remember Snow had a bit of a wild side. Robin knew from David's mild complaint that Snow still enjoyed romantic movies where good looking men went around shirtless.

But David's complaint was with a smirk as he said, "it gets her in the mood to 'make tacos'."

Robin rolled his eyes, subtle, David wasn't.

Snow had ended up shocking Grace and Laurent a bit instead on their wedding day as she laughed and gave the two of them a knowing grin when she saw Laurent's clothes. It wasn't the first time they wrongly thought something would shock older family members. Robin remembered when the two thought they were keeping their relationship a secret from Regina and himself.

Grace was the baby of the family. She was sure Regina and he couldn't deal with her growing up. So Grace and Laurent used the excuse of training for their school cross country races to have time with each other. They were both seniors in high school then . By the time Robin suspected what was going on Grace and Laurent were only a couple of months away from graduation. Regina must have suspected as well. He and Regina were settling into bed when she mentioned a conversation she'd had with Grace earlier that day about when and how teens should learn about birth control. Regina talked about the conversation matter of factly, but he knew that look in her eyes. He'd decided to do his ranger patrol in the part of the woods Grace and Laurent liked to train the next day.

Grace and Laurent were a bit too preoccupied to be listening for anyone's approach. He heard them some distance off. He didn't want to see what they were doing; and give them enough time to get back into any clothes they'd taken off. He dropped a small rock against a larger rock, then snapped a dead branch and let it drop against the rock. As he suspected there was an obvious panicked scrambling and words from their direction.

"Oh crap, someone's coming!"

"Hurry! It might be my dad!"

"Or your brother, isn't he working at the station this week?"

"God, that might even worse. Roland thinks he's my protector or something. I'm already eighteen, an adult."

"He's your older brother, that's how they're supposed to be. Lita still thinks she can boss me around too just because she's my big sister."

Robin could tell from the calmer tone they must have hid the evidence they were doing anything. He snapped a smaller stick with his foot and walked to where they could see him.

"Hi dad! Laurent and I were just taking a break." Grace said with a blush. Laurent, blushing as well, silently waved hello.

"I see." Robin smirked. "Enjoy the rest of your run, then."

Robin had worried, when his daughters started dating, he might turn into an overprotective father. But neither Hope nor Grace complained about either Regina or himself being too overbearing. Both Hope and Grace had chosen wisely with the people they dated and their eventual spouses. Laurent was a kind young man who adored Grace, and Yara had a warm protective side that reminded him of Regina's.

Hope had met Yara through her work at the emergency veterinary clinic last year. Up till then Hope had dated a few other women, including a few she'd met during the semesters she'd spent at Tufts University in Massachusetts. While most of her course work could be done in Storybrooke, there were a few classes she had to do at Tufts, including two classes next year that would complete her degree. Yara worked as a security guard in Storybrooke, like both her parents.

Yara's grandparents were Zumurrud and Ali Shar. In this world their somewhat inaccurate story was a tale in the Arabian Nights. The real Zumurrud had been a warrior queen and Ali Shar had been the youngest son from a neighboring kingdom. When a peace treaty had been signed between the two kingdoms Prince Ali had fallen in love at first sight with Zumurrud. He was a handsome young man and Zumurrud needed a husband so the peace treaty was concluded with a marriage contract and a royal wedding. While not a true love match, the marriage was peaceful and prosperous. Queen Zumurrud and her consort Prince Ali had five children, three daughters and two sons.

Yara's mother, Tahmina, had been their rebellious middle daughter. Too much her mother's daughter, Tahmina ran away at sixteen and became an adventurer. She happened to be in the Enchanted Forest when the first curse happened. The then eighteen year old became a security guard in Storybrooke. When everyone was sent back to the Enchanted Forest, under what became known as the missing year, Tahmina returned to her parents' kingdom to reconcile with her parents. While at the court she met a cat shifter among the younger palace guards, Bahadur Fahad.

The two soon fell in love. Tahmina's parents were so happy to see their daughter again, they had no objections to her choice. They did worry about some in their kingdom reacting badly. Prejudice against shifters was as common in their kingdom as any other. Despite her parents warm welcome, Tahmina felt out of place in the Enchanted Forest, and she missed her friends who were staying in the Queen's castle, for safety from the Wicked Witch. A couple of months after the wedding Tahmina and Bahadur traveled back to the Queen's castle. They arrived just days before the second curse took everyone near the Queen's castle back to Storybrooke. Tahmina helped Bahadur adjust to life in Storybrooke. Their daughter Yara was born the year between Grace and Cedric. Grace and Cedric knew her in passing but Hope didn't.

Yara's father, who was a cat shifter on his father side, shifted to a panther, as most his father's line did. Yara was only a quarter cat shifter though, and her animal form was a black housecat. At first Yara was embarrassed about her unimpressive cat form, but eventually she came to like the advantage it gave her. Anyone would know a panther roaming around had to be her father, but a black housecat, it could just be someone's pet.

Last year Yara had been working a night shift on the fateful day. It had been a damp and chilly night. Yara decided to shift back to cat form as her fur kept her warmer than the windbreaker she was wearing over her clothes in human form. Only moments after she had shifted she was struck with a baseball bat from behind. It was Phillip Junior and his fellow delinquent friends. She was so hurt and dazed she couldn't shift back to human form. She was kicked and dragged to the side of the road and left there. She lay there semiconscious and in agonizing pain for some time.

She was discovered by four children out far past their bedtimes. Ten year old Dylan and Zita, their 9 year old half sister Lucy and their friend Xian. Nine year old Xian had noticed the injured cat first. Xian didn't want her moms Rebecka and Mulan finding out she was out running around with her friends when she should have been in bed. That ruled out taking the injured cat to her mother Rebecka. Lucy was Jacinda and Tiana's daughter. Henry had been their donor, Rebecka had done the IVF. At first Henry, Violet, Jacinda and Tiana had kept it a secret that Henry was their donor. But gradually they'd let everyone know. Xian was Rebecka and Mulan's baby, conceived via IVF genetic tinkering and magic. The four of them, born within 18 months of each other were close friends.

"Aunt Hope's working tonight at the emergency vet clinic, we could take the kitty there. Aunt Hope won't tattle on us." Zita declared.

The others agreed and Dylan, being the tallest, and with his great grandfather David's words of gallantry inspiring him, took off his jacket, and laid it on the ground next to the cat. Zita, with the bit of magic she could access, gently lifted the injured cat onto the jacket. Xian, having watched her mother care for injured people, carefully wrapped up the cat. Then Lucy carried it; she was most agile, because of her ballet classes. They went around to the back door.

"Her office is close to this door. If we ring this bell she'll probably answer."

Hope was checking the results of the test on her brother's cat, Penny. Henry had brought in the cat to her because it had been vomiting. Hope hated to tell him that unfortunately Penny had terminal cancer. She couldn't heal Penny. She wondered how her niece and nephew would react. Penny had been the family pet since they were babies.

When she answered the door and saw Dylan and Zita there for a moment she wondered if Dylan's weak touch telepathy had taken a huge leap and they were there because he'd picked up her sadness about Penny.

"Aunt Hope, can you heal this kitty? We found it hurt beside the road."

Hope glanced at the clock, ten PM on a September school night. All four should be home and in bed. She let it pass though and gently took the cat from Lucy.

As soon as started to heal the cat, Hope knew it was a female cat shifter. She paused her healing at a point where she could and spoke to the kids. "She's going to be okay now. Thank you for bringing her to me. You better get home now though, it's past ten thirty."

"You won't tell on us?" Xian asked.

"Nope, as long as you go straight home now."

After they left, Hope continued the healing. When she finished the cat shifted back to a woman with short straight black hair. Hope thought she was the most stunning looking woman she'd ever met.

"Thank you, for both the healing and the privacy. I don't like shifting around other people, but I could tell you knew what I was, and when you continued to heal me after the children left I knew I could trust you." Yara smiled at Hope.

"Who hurt you?"

"Storybrooke's best known spoiled jerks."

"Phillip Junior and his friends."

"Yeah, the plague of Storybrooke. They either saw me shift, or just decided to beat up a cat."

"They belong in jail for this. You want to press charges, right? You still have some visible bruising I can record that and turn it over to the police."

"Thanks. Did you get any images of my injuries in cat form? I was so out of it when they brought me in I don't remember anything until right before you paused to get the kids to go home."

"Yes, we have to record injuries before we treat them, especially when it's an obvious assault."

"Good."

Storybrooke had passed a hate crimes bill that included crimes committed against shifters. Phillip Junior received a sentence of a minimum of three years before chance of parole. The trial also helped shift more of even the older generations of Storybrooke to support the hate crimes bill. There had been a lot of prejudice against shifters in the Enchanted Forest. Regina and Robin had been part of the minority that weren't prejudiced against shifters, Hope was proud to say. Even after facing Zelena's flying monkeys. That had been a dark spell not nature.

Hope and Yara soon realized they were attracted to each other and began to date. After a couple of months Hope visited Robin at work.

"Dad, I think I love Yara and I think she loves me. But she's still a bit reserved. It kind of reminds me of what I've heard about how you and mom fell in love. Mom kind of held back a bit, not physically, but other stuff, like about her past."

"She was afraid. She'd forgotten I'd seen her darkness and her broken side already. Do you think she's holding back because there's something about being a shifter she thinks would scare you?"

"Maybe."

"Hmm. Well, with Regina, I just kept assuring her I loved all of her and I wasn't afraid of any part of her. It took a while for her to feel assured I would always support her. I knew her dark past. I knew who she was before, but I also knew who she was right then."

"I'll try that." Hope thought something else might help too. She could talk about what she'd dealt with because Zelena was her biological mother. How people looked at her marmalade colored hair, and were wary of her, even people who hadn't when her hair was blonde. The light red hair reminded anyone Roland's age or older of Zelena. Unlike Regina, Zelena had never truly reformed, much less apologized and felt shame for what she'd done. The only person even now Zelena had expressed remorse to was Hope. She was remorseful that her actions cast a shadow on her daughter. But still tended to turn it toward anger at the people who were mean to her daughter rather than shame for what she had done.

Even though Yara was still a bit reticent, Hope proposed on the spring equinox. To Hope's joy Yara said yes. Grace and Laurent had been engaged since New Year's Day. It was at that point Hope and Grace had become completely set on living next door to each other. They'd talked about it for years, and now that they both were getting married it just seemed the perfect thing. Neither Laurent or Yara had any strong feelings about where they wanted to live, so they went along with what Hope and Grace wanted.

After Hope and Grace had moved out, shortly before the weddings, Regina had turned to Robin and said. "I'm so glad they're that close."

"You wish you and your sister could have been that close." Robin said solemnly.

"It wouldn't have had to have been that close, that's something special between the two of them. But even if we'd had even a grudging tolerance… If she'd realized my life had been hell being raised by our mother. She was able to escape from her stepfather and be free. Mother made sure I was never free, that I went into an even worse hell when she forced me to marry Leopold."

"She's still that way?" Robin grimaced "When you talk to her; I thought you'd-"

"Reached a kind of truce. Yes we have. She's… stopped being ragingly jealous of me. And she did give vital help when I had to face Gold in New York. But is she apologetic for what she's done? No. Only to how its hurt Hope. But that's mostly just anger at the people who are unkind to Hope, maybe a little remorse for her part in causing it. Maybe a little remorse toward the pain she caused me. The way she looks at me sometimes. I recognize that look, because I looked at Snow that way at first, before we were able to make things right between us." Regina faintly smiled "Nowadays, half the time I feel like she's my bossy older sister."

Robin chuckled. "I believe much of our extended family would share that feeling about Snow."

"Emma calls her the family alpha." Regina laughed.

The next dramatic event in the extended family was not a wedding but the adoption of a child. Matthew's husband Gian went to help out where his family had come from, two generations earlier. There was a severe earthquake in Northern India in November. Gian helped in the shelters. He asked to be notified if any of his relatives were located. Most were okay, but one distant cousin and most of his family had died. Only an infant boy survived; his mother had protected him in the collapsing house. The baby was slightly dehydrated and had a broken foot but was otherwise unharmed. The boy's mother was a biracial American. Unfortunately the closest relatives were prejudiced against biracial children and had a limited income. Gian was then contacted as a relative. Gian readily agreed to take custody of the baby boy named Kavin. It took several months of red tape but finally Gian was able to formally adopt Kavin and bring him back home in July.

When Matthew heard from Gian about the addition to their family he was both happy and nervous. He asked all his relatives for advice, including his uncle Robin.

"I'm happy we'll be able to raise Kavin, but I'm scared about taking care of a baby. They're so helpless. "I know a bit about babies from when my little brother. Mom and Wilfred let Roberta and I help out taking care of him, but this is Gian and I taking care of him. Glad they promoted me to manager at the store last year; we'll need a good double income with the baby. Gian's already talked to the library staff and they're excited to see the baby."

Gian was now the Director of the Storybrooke library. The staff was large enough that they had their offices on the second floor, shared with a childcare center. Belle started the childcare center for the support staff, about a year before she left. A couple of years ago it had opened up to the public. One of the other daycare centers closed because the owner decided to retire. The library daycare center manager suggested that they could help out and Gian thought that was a great idea. They ended up with about half the kids from the other daycare center. So at least they didn't have to worry about searching for a daycare center.

"It is scary, even when you have a partner. But don't think it's just you and Gian alone . If you need help, you can call us any time." Robin replied.

"Thanks Uncle Robin."

The summer wound down with the wedding of Cedric and Leira. Cedric was a nephew of Robin's; while Leira was the daughter of Regina's surviving paternal cousin, Valeria. They were the same age and had been friends since childhood. They announced their engagement at their high school graduation party. The now large extended family had gathered for the party, making it convenient for the engagement announcement.

"Isn't it wonderful!" Snow enthused to Robin. "It brings our families together even more!"

Robin grinned. "I don't envy the next generation when they do the family tree assignment at school."

Snow's eyes widened , then she burst into helpless laughter.

There was some worried discussion in the family about them marrying straight out of high school. But Leira's job as a jeweler's assistant and Cedric's as a house painter was enough to comfortably live in an apartment. Both also did commission work, Cedric as a portrait and mural painter and Leira created and sold her own jewelry. They'd both inherited their family's artistic talents. That had been part of what brought them together. So despite their youth, the families decided to let their love take its course.

Cedric and Leira had decided they wanted a lighthouse wedding. There wasn't a lighthouse in Storybrooke, but there was one in Arcadia National Park. The lighthouse was less than an hour drive from Storybrooke.

So here they were, Regina, his sister, her husband, assorted children and a few grandchildren at a lighthouse in Arcadia National Forest. Watching the happy young couple, dressed in what they called post World War I style, get married.

He wasn't thrilled to be on the beach, especially dressed in a suit, blessedly without those old neck strangling "ties". Regina called the type suit he was wearing a blazer. It was a hot day so the name was suitable; he felt like he was roasting in it. But Cedric and his groomsmen had it even worse, full formal tuxedos, replicas of the 1920's. Leira's dress and the bridesmaids looked far more comfortable.

Robin was one of the few of the men of the older generation who could sit through a discussion of wedding costumes without passing out from boredom. If someone was enthusiastic about a subject Robin usually liked to listen and learn. Regina said it was probably part of his low level magic. Their happiness and enthusiasm touched his. So he knew that Leira's dress was a replica of a 1918 wedding dress she had thought was the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen. The bridesmaids were satin and lace replicas of 1920's dresses. Dylan, as the ring boy, was spared having to wear the tuxedo. He had been slightly embarrassed to wear a replica 1920's ringboy outfit, because the original had been for a boy around five years old, where he was eleven. But now he was smirking that he had a cotton shirt and shorts on instead of a suit. Zita's and Lucy's dresses were replica 1920 flower girl dresses; short cotton dresses with collars that matched Dylan's.

They'd been able to reserve a large beachside cabin for the reception . After the early afternoon wedding and reception, most the family changed into swimsuits or shorts and were playing in the surf.

"Do you think we finally ended the magical disasters that kept hitting us every few years?" Regina said to Robin as they wandered along the shoreline. "It's been almost four years since we ended that threat from the bad book realm."

"Morgan seemed to think we had, and they could see all the realms." Robin said reassuredly.

"But that realm had been hidden, even from them, for so long. Could there be others like it?"

Robin shrugged. "We just know what Morgan said, when we shut off the corruption it was causing to all the other realms."

"That we'd saved all the realms, even that one. "

"I have hope we did."

Regina smilled, "Me too. I just need to be worried, just in case."

Robin pulled her in for a kiss. "I know."


	7. Chapter 7

Summer Interludes

Chapter 7

Summer Festival- Six years later

Henry play tackled his younger son Nat, then tickled him.

"Dad… stop" Nat giggled breathlessly.

Henry gave him a few more tickles then relented. Nat gave him a hug then ran off to play with the other kids at the lake. Violet was talking to their friends Jacinda and Sabine as they watched their teenage kids showing off; jumping off a rope swing by the deep part of the lake.

Nat was almost six years old and would start first grade in the fall. Zita and Dylan had just graduated high school. Henry sighed, he'd be forty by this time next year. He shouldn't complain though, mom and Robin were sixty-six, and his other mom, Emma, would be fifty-eight in October. Robin was the only one who looked any older though, and even he looked pretty much the same, just his hair was all grey now and he had a few more wrinkles around his eyes. Mom told him, the more magic a person had the slower they tended to age.

At the far shore of the lake Henry saw a glimmer of light. Then there was a magic so strong even he could feel it. He stood up, noting with relief no one was near where that magic energy appeared. There was a bright flash of light and suddenly a brown haired women with a pale skin tone was standing there. With her was a child who looked around three or four with the same hair color. She looked vaguely familiar to Henry.

"Henry is that you?" The woman asked.

"Yeah."

"It's me, Bae. I'm back. This is my son Thadeus, he's three and a half."

Henry could tell it was Bae. He smiled. "Welcome back to Storybrooke."

Bae grinned. "So you've taken over that duty from your mom?"

Henry laughed. "I guess."

"How is everyone?"

"A lot of ground to cover with that. Glad you're back. Grace will be overjoyed to see you."

"I can't wait to see her. So how many years have I been gone?"

"You don't remember?" Henry looked concerned.

"It's not that I don't remember, it's… well, mom, dad and I spent quite a few years in this realm where I aged really slowly, but mom, because she had no magic, aged normally. Dad, of course didn't age at all."

"What happened?"

"A lot of things. I'd rather wait and tell everyone at once." Bae said solemnly.

"Okay. Shouldn't take long for most people you knew to get here. You came back on the Summer Festival."

"Summer Festival?" The boy asked.

"You remember that fair I took you to last week ,Thaddeus?"

Thaddeus nodded.

"Its like that."

"Oh!" he smiled for the first time since they'd arrived.

"Yeah but we have lights that you don't have to use fire or magic to turn on, you just flip a switch and they come on and stay on till you flip the switch again. And lots of other cool stuff. " Henry said enthusiastically.

Thaddeus looked at Henry confused "Switch?"

Bae laughed. "He's never seen any kind of electric switch."

"What's a switch, mama?"

"You'll find out soon. But right now I see Henry's mom, Regina, coming our way. She looks exactly the same as I remember."

Regina had felt the sudden burst of magic around the lake and had quickly poofed herself there. She relaxed slightly when she saw Henry speaking and laughing to someone she didn't recognize. She warily approached.

"Mom, this is Bae, she's come back."

Bae pointed to her son, "This is Thaddeus, my son."

Regina looked more closely at the woman and nodded. "I can see Belle in your face." She smiled. "How is your mother?"

Bae looked sad.

"She's passed away then?"

"Yeah."

"You can tell us what happened later. I'm sure you want to see Grace." Regina smiled gently.

"Yes." Bae nodded and smiled back.

"You remember Laurent?"

"Yeah."

"Grace and Laurent married a few years ago. They have a little girl now. Her name is Danielle; she's two."

"So a year younger than my son. What about Hope, did she ever find someone?"

"Yes! Her name is Yara. They have a daughter Mehri who's the same age as Thaddeus."

"Is she like Xian?"

"Yes, Rebecka was able to help them have a baby. She helped Roland, Eimi and Douglas too. That one was a bit trickier, but they have a daughter Hana, she'll turn two right before Christmas."

"Wow."

"You probably won't be surprised Neal and Roberta married."

Bae giggled. "No. I remember how he made cow's eyes at her all the time. Any kids?"

"Yes. They have a son, Paxton. He's four. Matthew and Gian adopted a baby boy seven years ago, his name's Kavin. Do you remember Roberta's younger brother?"

Bae thought for a moment "Cedric? Right?"

"Yes. You remember my cousin Valeria's daughter, Leira?"

"Yeah, she was really cute, liked to turn cartwheels to music."

Regina laughed, "She did! I'd forgotten. Well, Leira and Cedric are married. They have a little girl, Estrella. Estrella just had her first birthday this past spring."

"I saw Zita and Dylan. I can't believe how grown up they are. I barely recognized them and Xian too."

"Yes. The twins just had their eighteenth birthday."

"Seventeen! Wow. So it's been…twelve years since I left."

"Yes." Regina looked somber. "Bae, I can tell its been longer than that for you. Your mother has passed away…you look around my age when I came to Storybrooke…"

"You don't look any older."

Regina smiled. "Thank you. I do, but yes, its subtle. The blessings of being a strong magic user. I'm sixty-six but I look about forty."

They had reached the street with the festival booths and rides were set up. Thaddeus pulled on Bae's hand , "Mama, look!" He pointed toward a merry-go-round, excitement on his face.

"That's a merry-go-round. You remember what Henry told you about switches turning lights on?"

Thaddeus nodded.

"Well, a switch makes that go around."

"Oh." Awe showed on his face. "Are switches like magic?"

"It seems like it sometimes. But energy travels through wires. That's how it works."

"Okay."

"He understands energy?" Henry asked.

"Kind of. He knows magic is partly energy. We're here to stay so he'll learn, along with the other kids. But right now, he just wants to ride the merry-go-round."

"I can, mama?"

"Of course, we have to get in line though."

"I know that mama!" Thaddeus said exasperated as he pulled her along toward the ride.

Bae and Henry laughed. Regina, walking behind them, smiled, equally amused by the little boy's impatience. Regina spotted her youngest daughter ahead of them in line. Laurent was holding Danielle and Grace was standing behind them making funny faces at her daughter to make her laugh. Once they stepped on the ride's platform, Regina hurried over to Grace.

"Grace, come here for a minute." Regina smiled faintly at her daughter.

"Mom?"

"I'll stay with Danielle." Laurent said as he held onto his daughter on top of the wooden horse. This was her first ride on the merry-go- round."

Regina saw Bae had got her son on a horse. She stood next to him but let him sit without her holding onto him.

Bae told Thaddeus to hold tight onto the fake reigns just like with a real horse. She glanced over at Henry who was sitting on the bench seat just ahead, with his camera filming. Bae couldn't wait to see Thaddeus' reaction when the horse moved upward.

Regina motioned Grace to sit in the bench seats a couple of horse rows back from Bae and her son.

The ride started and Thaddeus squealed with surprise and joy when the horse moved. He bounced excitedly. "Mama, look!"

Bae touched her hand on his shoulder and grinned down at him. Thaddeus stopped bouncing and began to look all around the ride.

Regina knew they could approach now. "Grace, someone wanted to see you."

They walked up to Bae. Regina tapped her on the shoulder.

Bae turned around and smiled when she saw Regina. "He loves it."

"I saw."

Then Bae noticed the young woman beside Regina. Her eyes widened. "Grace!"

Grace looked confused for a moment then cried out "Bae!" The two women hugged each other tightly.

Henry grinned back at his mother. He'd caught the reunion of the two best friends on video as well.

Bae spent the rest of the day being reunited with family and friends. Then everyone drove over to Henry and Violet's house for a family gathering where Bae told her story.

"Mom and I found father pretty quickly. He found us actually. He was overjoyed to see us. He did apologize to mom and me for abducting and taking me to New York. Mom told him about the prophesy. It wasn't easy to get out of the Black Fairy's realm…"

Bae paused. There were things she'd rather forget about that time. She decided to skip on. "Father found this realm where time ran strange. I don't know how many years we spent there. I aged really slowly and father, of course didn't age at all. But mother had no magic, she aged normally, I guess. She grew old and died. Father struggled with himself for several more years. Then one day he said he was ready to go be with mother. He showed me what I needed to do with the Guardian spell. Father is free and there will never be another Dark One."

"What did you do then?"

"I dismantled all the magic father had put into place. I wasn't sure who I was anymore, so I made a portal to the Enchanted Forest. I wanted to see where my parents had come from. Maybe that would help me find myself."

Henry, Grace and several of the other younger adults nodded. The Enchanted Forest was this mysterious place their parents had come from that still echoed in their lives.

Emma was the oldest there who somewhat shared their feelings; but the awfulness of the Camelot time had ended most of that. Despite the bad things she'd lived through, this world was home. Not the Enchanted Forest. She shared that with all the other older adults here. Storybrooke was home. She could tell Bae felt the same way.

"I wandered the Enchanted Forest for a few years; became an adventurer." She smiled faintly; those were her happiest years. "I met a charming scoundrel, Rishley." Bae smiled in remembrance as family members chuckled at the description. Rishley was handsome, and could charm squirrels to eat from his hands. But he wasn't dependable.

"We adventured together for a while, then went our separate ways. A couple of months after we parted ways I discovered I was pregnant. Despite the situation, it made me happy. I found a village where I could be a jack of all trades. I rented a place for us to stay until Thaddeus was old enough to travel. He started asking about family a few weeks ago. I had to tell him it was just him and me. I realized the Enchanted Forest had never felt like home, just a stopping point. But there was a place that was home, where I had family. Storybrooke. I took Thaddeus to a fair, then we packed up. And now we're home."

"Welcome home. We all missed you." Grace said. There was a chorus of affirmatives around the room.

"I missed you too. For a long time I thought I'd never see any of you again. Even after father showed me how to get to the Enchanted Forest, even after Thaddeus was born. I could have come back once I was in the Enchanted Forest, but I felt too lost from who I had been. Plus I didn't know how many years had passed in Storybrooke. But when my son started asking about family, I wanted to come home."

Bae's extended family helped her settle back into town. Gold's pawn shop had remained empty. Henry and some other family members had made sure it didn't fall apart, doing basic maintenance. In the back of everyone's minds was a hope that Belle and Bae would someday return; despite the prophesy saying Belle definitely wouldn't. Belle, indeed had not. But Bae had.

"So what about the sign?" Henry asked.

"Keep it up. It won't be a pawn shop, but then it wasn't really one when father ran it either. More a storehouse of magic things. It can be that again. I seem to have a light magic power that negates dark magic. It wasn't just the Dark One's dagger; I've been able to break other dark magic objects too. "

"That's great! I know mom has some things in her vault that are cursed with dark magic that she has locked away. Maybe you could break their power."

Bae nodded. But I don't want to live like father did, surrounded by dark magic objects. Father taught me how to spin and weave, and not just on his old spinning wheel. If someone can find an old standing loom that I can get a loan on, I'll pay them back once I sell enough rugs. Oh and I'll need same raw wool, silk and other materials"

"You know the family will give you both the loom stuff and the money as a gift. You're family."

"Well, I'll just have to pay them back with free rugs." Bae grinned.

Grace and Laurent were walking in the woods with their daughter Danielle a couple of weeks later.

"Bae said there were some things that she can't talk about that she lived through. Mom offered to listen if she ever needed to."

"Your mom survived a lot of awful things."

"Including things she did when she was broken and mad. I heard about them from other people. Mom still can't talk about some of it to us kids. She's done the penance for it, but its not anything she can fully get past. She just learned to deal with it and not let it overshadow who she always should have been."

"Hopefully Bae will talk to your mom someday."

Grace stopped suddenly. "Do you hear that?"

"Baby crying" Danielle piped in

"It does sound like a baby crying, Danille."

Laurent picked up Danielle so they could walk faster toward the sound.

When they reached a clearing they saw a very large toddler in a muddy dress, sitting on the ground crying.

"That child is huge. She looks Danielle's age, but she's got to be almost four feet tall."

"Giant. How did she get here? I thought Anton was the last of the giants."

"Right now that doesn't matter. What matters is someone needs to get her some place where they can make sure she's okay. She's just a toddler."

"Right. Maybe a light sleep spell so we can get her to Rebecka's office so we can get her cleaned up and I can run some medical tests, makes sure she's not sick."

"Then what?"

"We could try to find Anton, but I think Davu is a better bet. Some of his ancestors were giants. Based on her size some one either did a spell on her, or she's not fully giant. She's tiny for a giant."

Grace waved her hand and the giant toddler's eyes drifted shut. Grace hurried over before the girl toppled over.

"Do you think you can carry her back to the car alone?" Laurent asked.

"Yeah. Firefighter's hold."

"Okay." Laurent carried their daughter Danielle back to the car quickly and got her settled into the car seat.

"Be right back, Danny girl, going to help mommy with the giant baby."

Danielle whimpered when Laurent closed the door. He hated leaving their daughter for even a second alone, but that giant toddler had to be getting heavy. He could trade off for the last few feet.

Grace looked annoyed when he found her. "You should have stayed with Danielle. I'm almost there."

"Let me switch off carrying the kid."

Grace sighed. "Okay." As soon as the girl was settled over Laurent's shoulder Grace ran back to the car. As she suspected Danielle was crying her lungs out. Grace kissed and caressed her daughter, soothing her distress. "Its okay, mommy's here, you're safe."

Grace had Danielle calmed down by the time Laurent got to the car with the giant toddler . They put the sleeping girl in the back seat and put her in a seatbelt.

"She's a little small to be sitting there without a booster seat, but nothing we can do about that now."

"Right, once she's at the clinic we can call around and see who can help."

Once they got there Grace immediately began running the medical tests, while Rebecka and Grace's intern gave the toddler a bath . Laurent , armed with the giant toddler's measurements and likely approximate clothes sizes, went clothes shopping. He brought Danielle along with him. Nova called Davu and left a message with Anton's friends.

Grace ran a DNA test as well. She showed the results to Rebecka. "She's definitely related to Anton. Not closely, but there's about a twenty percent match. There's a twelve percent match to Davu's paternal DNA, so she's related to both giant families in Storybrooke."

"That explains why she's alive. Someone related to Anton must have left their land and traveled to where Davu's ancestor's lived. Davu's giant ancestors weren't as tall as Anton's family; but see those markers? She's part human too."

"Her height make s sense now. She's probably going to top out around seven feet."

"Yes, or maybe slightly shorter. She's past two and a half. Her DNA says about 32 months."

"That's great. Shouldn't be much a problem going to school, maybe in high school they might have to find her a special desk or something, and special order her uniform, but no terrible ordeals."

"Hopefully not much bullying."

"I hope so too."

Davu came in about an hour later. He spoke to the toddler and got her to smile.

"Her name is something like Aisha, I think. She doesn't have many words yet so I can't get much of a story out of her. I don't think she was abandoned. Someone must have used a spell to send her here."

"Like Aunt Emma?" Grace's face flushed. Her and Hope's mistaken idea childhood about how Henry's mom was related to them was a bit of an embarrassment now. And she'd just blurted the word right out. She and Hope still called her Aunt Emma but outside of the family she usually just called her Emma.

"Maybe. Aisha can't tell us enough to be sure."

"Well, she's here now, so let's find out as much as we can and find her a home." Rebecka said. "Nova got a call back from Anton. He's on his way. Maybe he'll know more."

Anton took a look at Aisha and smiled. "She looks kind of like one of my cousins. They said he looked like great aunt Julia. Great Aunt Julia was on the tiny side for our family, just like me. She got tired of being mocked and ran off when she was young. I guess she found someone."

"Since she's closest to your family, would you like to raise her? " Grace asked. She knew her mother would expedite the paperwork once a family was found for Aisha.

Anton shook his head. "Happy she's here, but I'm just not daddy material. I'd like to be her uncle though."

Grace sighed. Davu had turned them down too, probably because Anton had the stronger genetic link and he had no family. Davu and Lita had a three year old son, Bezou. She didn't know who else in Storybrooke might raise her, other than mom and dad. They'd talked about adopting recently. Mom and Dad just loved being parents. They adored their grandchildren but had kind of an empty nest thing. A giant child, even if she was part human and on the small side for a giant, would be an awful lot of work though. And they are in their sixties… Well, if no one else came forward, she knew they would.

Two weeks later, Aisha went home with Robin and Regina.


End file.
